


Dollhouse

by JustAnotherFanfictionWriter



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse, Connor & Amanda freindship, Connor & North (Detroit: Become Human) Friendship, Connor (Detroit: Become Human) Has PTSD, Connor Deserves Happiness, Connor gets tortured, Connor is a home android AU, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Non-Consensual Kissing, Not Beta Read, Other original androids get tortured, POV Connor, POV Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Past Markus/North (Detroit: Become Human), Physical Abuse, Slow Burn, by past north/markus i mean they could have had something but they...kinda skipped over it..., lots of pain, not edited, oops i guess im not good at writing them together adfasdfgasdf
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2020-03-04 21:12:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 21
Words: 77,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18820819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherFanfictionWriter/pseuds/JustAnotherFanfictionWriter
Summary: He had already been burned alive. He’d been dipped slowly into a pool of acid. Watched as his father died in front of him, unable to help and subsequently gotten shot in the face. He was beaten to death, stabbed to death, had his Thirium pump ripped out of him as well as his arm, legs, eye, and hearing module. He wanted this to stop.The car stopped suddenly. Connor wasn’t able to move, but he still felt the pavement on his cheek. He was sobbing softly, panting. The pavement was slowly replaced by vast nothingness. Then, Connor’s eyes fluttered open.





	1. NOV 2, 2038

The world came to his vision, blocked by large text reading CyberLife. He watched as various scans took place, ensuring that everything was in order. He focused on his model number and serial number; RK800 and 313-248-317 – 53 respectively. A name on file popped up shortly after; “Connor.” When everything settled into place, the world went from black and white into brilliant color. He blinked away the light invading his vision, staring out into the far too perfect building. The floor was perfectly waxed, black tile acting almost like a mirror. The walls and pillars were white, a stark contrast to the floors and forcing his eyes to make drastic light changes. His eyes finally settled on a stern looking man, pale green eyes piercing through him and staring into his soul. He shivered at the glare.

“Lower it, Daddy!” A young girl spoke.

Connor registered that his arms were restrained above him, as his central charging port had a sturdy cable plugged in, supporting most of his weight. He felt a bit panicked when he felt two wires in the back of his neck, close to where his reset button was. The wires were likely there to assist in the manual startup, though the sensation was quite uncomfortable. Connor watched the stranger as he walked to the console.

The man typed a few things into a console. Connor was lowered to his feet, as the machine released his wrists. The machine pulled out of each port. Connor sighed when the ones from his neck were removed first, as the one from his back came next. Connor’s eyes fall to a small child, standing with her hands clasped together tightly over her chest. Her pale green eyes were filled with excitement and love as the large curls in her hair bounced to her energized movements. She then clutched her pink and purple princess dress, turning to the man.

“Is it mine, Daddy?” The girl asked.

“Of course it is, Bella dear.” The man smiled back to her.

Bella screeched. The noise registered as an error in Connor’s system, making him wince and grab at his ears. They rang for several more minutes as the girl leaped onto Connor. She held him, squeezing hard enough for him to register it as an error.

"I love it!" She beamed.

The man gave her a smile. He stepped away from her and folded his arms.

"Would you like to dress it?" He asked.

Bella screamed again. Connor, again, covered his ears against the noise. When she was finished, Bella grabbed Connor's hand tightly. She dragged him after her, skipping. He found that keeping pace with Bella wasn't difficult. He realized he was, in fact, taller than her father. He blinked, opting to look forward instead of staring at the man.

They got to a large circular door. Bella stamped her feet impatiently as she waited, her father ignoring her and moving to the door. He began to type on a console next to the door. Connor instinctively scanned the movements, identifying the code as 043089. The door opened seconds later, revealing a long hallway.

Bella dragged Connor inside. His eyes fell to the lines of cases, each one holding an android. One would be scanned, the scanner would process it. After a few seconds, a large REJECTED would be printed onto the case. The android would be moved below, where Connor couldn't see it. The more he watched, he saw that only a handful gained approval. To him, all of the androids looked the same; the blue and white paneling wasn't out of place, each one stood upright and faced the screen. They seemed lifeless.

Connor wondered what happened to the rejected ones as he was pulled out of the room. His eyes soon drifted to the color that started to permeate the black and white room. There were flowers of all colors and sizes, making the too-perfect room look almost livable. He scanned each flower, identifying what they were and where they grew most commonly. He wanted to go over and inspect them more, but Bella tugged on his arm.

Connor continued to watch the flowers as they walked, feeling as if people were staring at him. Connor eventually looked up at them, seeing all sorts of humans watching him. Connor glanced down at himself, studying his reflection in the floor. He looked like the other androids, the ones being accepted or rejected. Connor's brow creased, LED spinning yellow as he tried to figure out what was wrong. He looked normal, so why did they stare?

Connor saw people standing on circles elevated from the floor, slowly spinning. They all wore white and stood motionless. They showed no emotion as they stood. Connor felt concern until he saw the LED spinning blue on the side of their heads. He glanced back down at himself, realizing he had neither clothes nor skin. Connor frowned.

They came to a stop in front of an office that looked more like a clothing store. The doors opened when they stepped near, and Bella ran inside.

"Can I dress it?" Bella asked.

"Of course." Her father replied.

Bella giggled and dragged Connor inside. The walls were lined with example photos, encouraging those who brought their androids in to make their android their own. There were so many colors it was almost assaulting to Connor's eyes. He found it hard to keep looking in one place, instead choosing to focus on the pictures.

"Are you here to dress it?" Connor heard someone ask.

He looked over to the man. The man held a friendly smile, and an LED in his temple. Bella scrunched her nose.

"I don't need _your_ help." Bella spat.

The android blinked in surprise before nodding and standing upright. He walked away, glancing at Connor one last time before he stood by the door. Bella yanked Connor away, stomping towards the shirts.

She pulled a handful, holding each one up for Connor to put on. He tried each one, receiving small smacks when they didn't work for Bella. She eventually settled on a plain housekeeper shirt, which was white on all but the tips of the short sleeves. She got Connor a blue button-down shirt, dragging him to the jackets. She frowned, flipping through all of them before settling on a black blazer with grey on the back and sides. It held a blue band on the left forearm and a triangle on the right pectoral region. Connor carried it as Bella guided him to the pants, picking out a pair of dark jeans for him to wear at all times. Finally, she accessorized him with black shoes, and a tie to go with his blazer and blue shirt.

Bella frowned when Connor held the one outfit, staring down at her. She stomped her feet, looking to her father.

"It needs one more!" She screamed.

Bella’s father removed the clothes from Connor's hand. He placed them in a large suitcase before making Connor stand with this arms out to the side. He circled Connor like he was prey, eyes scanning over every inch of his body. Connor halted his breathing for a moment, fearful it would disturb whatever was going on.

"Would you let me pick the last outfit, Bella?" The man asked.

"Make it pretty!" Bella demanded.

The man nodded and disappeared into the store. Connor let his arms slowly rest at his sides, searching for where the man disappeared to. After what felt like an hour, the man returned holding an outfit matching his suit, though in full pale-blue color. The man put it in the bag, not allowing Connor to see it longer than he already did. The man brushed passed Connor, gently touching his wrist. Connor blinked, staring after the man curiously. Bella giggled and grabbed Connor’s hand, dragging him out of the store.

Connor took one moment to glance back. The android in the store watched as he left, before turning back towards his post. Connor walked into an elevator, watching as the man hit the first floor. The three of them stood in relative silence, Bella interrupting it with humming. She bounced on her feet, swaying back and forth while she did. Connor gave a small smile. He caught the man staring at him, turning his gaze to his new shoes.

The elevator doors opened. The man stepped out first, followed by Bella. Connor was the last one out, feeling everyone's attention drawn to him immediately. Androids that stood on those same slowly spinning pistols watched him, and humans who passed by stared as well. They seemed concerned about him almost. Connor took a deep breath and tried to ignore them.

A group of people stood by what Connor figured were the main doors. They were all shouting to be called on, as a man in a fine suit stood at the front. The man pointed to one of the people holding a notepad.

"Is it CyberLife policy to allow workers to take home androids?" The man holding the notepad asked, glancing towards Connor.

Connor froze when everyone turned to face him. He held his breath as the man in the fine suit looked at him. His expression darkened when he looked at Bella's father. The man turned from the podium and approached them rapidly. Connor turned his gaze to the floor, hoping he did nothing wrong.

"Mr. Hollingsworth." The man spoke with an edge to his voice.

"Mr. Kamski." Mr. Hollingsworth held the same edge.

"I would like to see our newest android. I assume you're simply taking it to be tested?" Mr. Kamski glanced at Connor.

"This isn't the newest android." Mr. Hollingsworth replied, "It's coming with me."

"You can't use CyberLife technology to make yourself a home android, Mr. Hollingsworth." Kamski turned to Bella's father, "Therefore this android is—."

"Its mine!" Bella stomped on the floor.

Kamski glanced down at Bella. He held a slight glare at the child. Kamski then turned to face Connor, lifting his chin. Connor stared into Kamski's cool blue eyes, holding his breath. His LED was yellow. Kamski stared for a few minutes before dropping his hand.

"Take good care of it." Kamski spoke, "I'll be checking up on it soon."

With that, Kamski returned to the podium. Connor finally allowed himself to breathe, as he stared at the back of Kamski. He wasn't sure what the man meant, but he was soon being dragged away from the reporters. They called to Kamski to explain what Connor was, why he looked different. Connor felt nervous the more the reporters shouted.

He was relieved when they got outside. There were bursts of color from the trees surrounding the parking lot. The leaves were a mixture of green, yellow, red, or brown. Connor gasped softly, taking in the magnificent sight.

"Hey!" Mr. Hollingsworth snapped, "Get over here!"

Connor jumped.

"Sorry, Mr. Hollingsworth," Connor replied.

Connor stepped towards him. Mr. Hollingsworth glared at him, grabbing his shirt roughly.

"You will call me Master. Is that clear?" Mr. Hollingsworth growled.

"Yes, master." Connor corrected himself.

The Master let Connor go, allowing him to drop back to his feet. Connor shivered, glancing back to the building. Mr. Kamski watched him, intensely. Connor turned and walked towards a large Mercedes self-driving SUV, watching as The Master got into the driver seat.

"Put Bella in her car seat." The master snarled.

"Yes, Master," Connor replied.

He felt an uncomfortable shiver journey through him when he said that. He tried to ignore it, as he picked Bella up. She whined, struggling against Connor as he put her in the car seat.

"I don't wanna!" She screeched.

She began to slap Connor's hands firmly as he buckled her in. She screamed after realizing he was ignoring her. She slapped at him again while he finished getting her seated, folding her arms and turning away from him.

Connor closed the door, moving to the other side of the car. The window rolled down.

"No. You sit in the trunk." The master told him.

Connor blinked. He glanced between the trunk and the master before nodding. He opened the trunk, settling himself in the corner away from the path of the rearview mirror. Connor crossed his legs after pulling the trunk door shut.

The master plugged in an address, and the car began to move. Connor jumped when it did, bracing himself in the corner. Connor watched the CyberLife tower fade in the distance as they drove, locking eyes with Mr. Kamski before they completely left the parking lot. They exited a gate, Connor watching in awe as it came back up to block the secluded man-made island from everyone else. His eyes soon turned to the city as they entered, eyes tracing over all the billboards and people. Connor loved the contrast in the city; the beautiful, old buildings surrounded by modern additions. There were more androids than he could count, too; all of them working or standing to wait for orders.

Connor’s childlike wonder was interrupted when he suddenly slid across the trunk, slamming his head against the back window. Connor sat upright, watching as the master allowed the self-driving car to resume control of the vehicle. Connor frowned and turned back to the window, opting to stare at his own slight reflection in the window with a straight face.

They pulled into a long driveway guarded by a gate. The gate opened as the car approached, and Connor watched as many different androids all tended to the grass outside. They worked tirelessly, all without their skin. Connor was able to see damage on most of them. He held his breath, as they came up to a large Victorian style modern home. The car parked in a garage next to the house, with two androids standing inside. They immediately opened the doors for the master and for Bella.

Connor took this as his cue to get out of the vehicle. He closed the trunk gently, moving to Bella’s side and helping her out of the car. She took Connor’s hand and guided him out of the garage, skipping. She didn’t seem affected anymore by their earlier spat. Bella hummed as she skipped along, dragging Connor up the front steps and to the large doors on the house.

“Hey!” The master shouted, moving away from them.

“Daddy will take care of it. Let’s go!” Bella beamed.

Connor caught a glimpse of one of the androids flinching from the master as Bella dragged him inside. Connor saw stairs heading to the upper floor immediately to his right. A coat rack stood near the stairs, and a door led to a separate room on that side. On the left, an umbrella stand stood next to the door and an entryway into a basement was seen.

“Come on! I have to show you my room!” Bella grabbed Connor’s hand.

She guided him up the stairs. On the second floor, it was a mostly open floor plan with doors around a central spot. Bella dragged him forward, pulling him to the door in front of the stairs. She opened it, hopping inside. Connor saw how messy the girl’s room was. Clothes and cut-up dolls were strewn everywhere, the large bed decorated as if she were a princess was unmade. Her closet doors were open, revealing many outfits that had been pulled off of the hangers inside but then tossed aside. An android leaned against the dresser to the right of the door, staring out towards a window with a blank expression. Bella folded her arms and frowned at the android.

“Wake up!” She screamed.

The android jolted. He looked around, startled, before watching Bella. His eyes eventually flicked to Connor.

“Leave. I don’t need you anymore.” Bella waved for the android to leave.

Connor saw how damaged the Android’s legs were. He likely couldn’t move. The android watched between Bella and Connor for a while before nodding. He pushed himself to shaky feet, stumbling out of the room. Connor saw that the pink carpet was now stained with blue blood.

Bella noticed too, screaming with all her might. Connor covered his ears, the noise causing several errors to pop up in his system. Two androids ran into the room, petrified.

“Clean this up!” Bella demanded, pointing to the mess.

The two androids nodded, one darting out of the room while the other began to organize the clothes. Bella smiled, seemingly satisfied, and grabbed Connor’s hand. She dragged him out of the room, on to the next one. It was an office, a computer sitting at a nicely decorated desk.

“Daddy’s office.” Bella told him, “He works from home sometimes.”

She moved on, showing Connor the bathroom and then the master bedroom.

“Over there,” Bella gestured to a bunch of seemingly empty rooms, “Are where the other androids stay. You’re special, though. You don’t have to sleep there.”

Connor only smiled out of respect. He wasn’t sure if he should have or not. Bella seemed to take it well, pulling Connor back downstairs. She pulled him into the main room, which held a TV on the far left wall with expensive looking yet comfortable seating in front of it. A glass coffee table held an expensive vase and a flower. Under the TV was a fireplace, recently used. Bookcases flanked the fireplace, registering as dangerous to Connor. A piano sat by the glass doors leading out to a sprawling backyard with a pool larger than anything Connor had seen. The dining room sat to the left, the kitchen is blocked off by only an island.

Bella pulled Connor outside. The outside had a vast garden, with several androids working on it. They all would glance up when Connor passed, only to return to their work. Some held a look of sympathy, while others glared. Connor wasn’t sure how to feel about all the others.

“I play out here sometimes.” Bella frowned, “I don’t like it out here, though.”

“Why not?” Connor risked a question.

“The androids. They scare me. You’ll protect me from them, won’t you?” Bella looked at Connor with innocent eyes.

“Of course I will.” Connor smiled at her.

Bella giggled. She moved back inside the house, flicking her hair at the androids. They ignored her and continued working, Connor slowly following after Bella. One of the androids grabbed Connor’s forearm, startling him.

“You’ll be tossed aside too.” The android’s voice sounded more like a machine than they were supposed to, “Don’t get comfortable with your special treatment.”

Connor pulled his arm free, stepping away from the android. He moved inside, shivering. Bella jumped by her father’s side, pulling at his pant leg. He was angrily walking.

“And of course now the other androids are starting to revolt against me, now I’m going to have to either wipe them or replace them…” The master mumbled, pushing Bella off of him.

Bella folded her arms, pouting. She looked at Connor.

“Make him talk to me!” Bella demanded.

Connor nodded, moving to stand next to the master. The master ignored him, typing more on his phone. Connor coughed, causing the master to finally look up at him.

“Your daughter wishes to speak to you, Master.” Connor spoke, “It would be beneficial for her if you—.”

An open palm met Connor’s cheek, sending him stumbling. The master punched Connor in the stomach then, making the android lose the air he held within. He dropped to the floor, gasping.

“You don’t _dare_ order me around in my own home!” The master screamed, “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, master.” Connor coughed.

Connor glanced to Bella, who held a wicked grin on her face. She swayed innocently, watching as Connor regained his breath. She then turned to her father.

“Daddy!” She called out, “AX500 leaked blue blood all over my floor!”

The master sighed and looked over to her.

“Where is it?” He asked.

“I don’t know. I told it to get out so it left. Maybe it ran away.” Bella answered.

The master brought two androids inside and told them to find the one that vanished. They bowed to the master and walked away. Bella giggled, taking Connor’s hand when he finally stood back up.

“AX500 will regret leaking on my floor.” Bella’s voice was dark, “It should have been able to withstand it.”

Connor was too nervous to ask what she meant. He watched as AX500 was dragged down the stairs, eyes filled with tears as he trembled.

“RA9, please… RA9 please save me… Please save me…” He whispered as he passed Connor.

Connor watched after him for a few moments before entering Bella’s room. She demanded the other two androids leave.

“Pick up where they left off,” Bella demanded.

Connor complied, listening as Bella began to arrange her toys for a “royal court.”


	2. NOV 3, 2038

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try and update this at least once per week, especially if I have one or more chapters already written. And, as it turns out, I do have one chapter (other than the one being posted) currently written out. Thank you all so much for the support, I read the comments (even if I didn't respond quite yet), and the support means a lot to me! <3

Connor’s daily tasks were simple, from what he was given from the Master and some of the other androids in the house; he was supposed to wake Bella up at 6:00 am to get her ready to go to violin practice at school. He had to get her breakfast first, dressed second, and finally brush her teeth. He would have her bag and sack lunch prepared the night before so they would be able to walk out of the house. During the time she was in school, Connor would be in charge of washing her clothes, cleaning her room and bathroom, and fixing any toys she may have broken. When she got home, it was Connor’s job to make sure she did her homework and help her with it as needed. He would make Bella and The Master dinner, based on a schedule the Master prepared in advance. He had to follow the recipes to the letter, no diversions. Bella got milk with her dinner and Orange Juice with her breakfast. Her breakfast was also on a schedule, and he was not allowed to stray from it no matter what Bella demanded. Bella had to be in bed by 8:00 pm on weeknights and 10:00 pm on weekends.

Connor was also given a base rundown of the rules: he was not, under any circumstances, allowed into the master’s office unless the master calls him in specifically, he was not allowed to enter the Gallary at any point, for any reason, and he was only allowed outside the front door when he was going to and from Bella’s school. Finally, no matter what, he was  _ never  _ allowed to wear his skin.

Connor woke up at 6:00 am, at the exact time he needed to wake Bella. He stood quietly, moving over to the side of Bella’s bed. He gently placed a hand to her shoulder.

“Good morning, Bella dear.” Connor’s voice was soft, “It’s time to get up.”

Bella groaned and rolled over. She pulled her covers over her head.

“Please, Bella?” Connor asked.

Bella groaned again, this time flopping the covers off of her. She looked angry.

“I don’t want to.” Bella snapped.

Connor smiled at her. She glared to him, slapping him hard across the face. Connor stood in stunned silence for a little while as Bella sluggishly left the bed. She held up her arms, an indication to Connor she wanted to be carried. Connor picked her up, carrying her gently to the door. Bella leaned against him as he opened her door, moving her out of the room and down the stairs. He walked her to the dining table, setting her down.

“I want pancakes,” Bella told him, rubbing her eyes.

Connor ignored her, grabbing a bowl. Today she was to have cereal. The cereal she was having had a bit more sugar than Connor would have liked, but he wasn’t in charge of buying the food. He set the bowl of cereal down in front of her, pouring her milk. He finally got her some orange juice and waited patiently for her to eat. Bella folded her arms, pouting.

“I  _ said _ I wanted pancakes!” Bella snapped.

Connor glanced to one of the other androids, who came into the room to begin preparing the Master’s breakfast. The android ignored him, moving past him to the stove. Bella turned away from the food, puffing her cheeks out and holding her breath. Connor moved over to her and knelt down in front of her. He held a friendly smile on his face.

“I’ve never seen a human eat cereal before.” Connor spoke gently, “I’d be honored if you showed me how to.”

Bella grabbed the glass of orange juice. Before Connor could register what was happening, she threw it against his head. The glass shattered on impact, the orange juice stinging as it seeped into the open wounds. Connor hissed in pain, grabbing at his head.

“Make me pancakes!” Bella demanded.

Connor watched Bella, a combination of shock and fear. He was aware that she was fussy from what he’d seen yesterday, but he wasn’t expecting this. Connor was scrambling; he needed to get her to eat, but he wasn’t sure how to. Bella pouted again and turned away from Connor, holding her breath again.

“If you don’t eat, he’ll take it away from you.” The other android spoke up.

Connor glanced to him, surprised. The android glanced to Connor, his expression stern. Connor watched as Bella stared at him, a confused glare in her eyes.

“It wouldn’t.” Bella challenged.

The android shrugged and returned to work. Connor blinked and stared at Bella, who turned to face him. He gave a determined look, watching as Bella leaned back in her chair. Connor only waited two minutes before he stood up, grabbed the bowl, and poured it out. Bella cried out in shock, watching as Connor came back to her.

“You…!” She growled.

Connor simply picked her up, carrying her out of the dining room. She kicked and cried, punching at Connor’s back while he carried her. Connor got up to her room as the master left his, watching them. Connor ignored his stare, setting Bella down in her room.

“I have an outfit picked out for you.” Connor told her, “It’s sitting over there.”

Connor pointed to a simple yet stylish outfit. He’d put it together the night before, hoping it would save time in the morning. Bella was still pouting and crying, folding her arms and stamping on the ground. She turned away from Connor, sniffling.

“If you don’t get dressed in the next five minutes, I’m going to dress you myself,” Connor warned.

Bella stomped to the outfit and snatched it. She moved behind a screen and began to change, still sniffling as she stepped out in the outfit. She stomped to the bathroom and began to brush her teeth without Connor even asking. He smiled. They were on track now to get to school on time. Connor put her backpack on his shoulder, picking up her violin case. She stomped out of the bathroom, glaring at Connor.

“Thank you, Bella,” Connor told her.

Bella didn’t answer as she stormed out of the room. Connor wondered if he was truly doing the right thing as he followed her, closing the door. Bella’s father looked up to them when they came downstairs, watching as Bella angrily put on her shoes.

“Is everything alright?” the master asked.

“Yes.” Connor answered, “Everything is fine.”

Bella glared at Connor, putting on her coat. She stood by the door, waiting for Connor. He opened the door and stepped outside, as Bella followed behind him. She took his hand reluctantly when he offered it.

“You just have to take me to the bus stop,” Bella grumbled.

Connor located the bus stop for her school. He timed that they had thirty minutes to spare, which was more than enough time to walk there. Connor made sure to keep an even pace with Bella, who pulled out a phone and began to play with it. Connor wanted to speak up about it, since he wanted her to prioritize being a kid, but he kept quiet. It wasn’t his place to talk to her about it, much as he was tempted and programmed to.

The walk to the bus was kept in silence until Bella saw her friends. They wore clothes that flaunted how wealthy they were, watching as Bella came up to them. They stifled laughs as she joined them.

“I thought you were going to match us today.” One of the girls said.

Bella gave a tense smile to them. She glared back at Connor.

“I will. Tomorrow.” Bella grumbled.

There were androids standing off to the side, holding violin cases and backpacks. Connor shuffled to them, standing next to a blonde android. He glanced over at Connor, giving him a shy smile.

“You’re new, aren’t you?” He whispered.

Connor glanced at him. He nodded.

“I’d say I’m envious, but…” The android looked back to the girls, “I’m not.”

Connor’s LED flickered to yellow for a moment. He wasn’t quite sure what the android meant. A few more girls arrived, each one commenting on Bella’s outfit. She seemed happier when the whole group was there, making herself the center of attention by talking about her new android. Connor began to feel uncomfortable as the time passed; these girls were acting beyond their age, likely due to what their parents allowed— more so didn’t stop them— from watching.

The bus arrived before Connor could talk about it, though, and he handed Bella her things. Bella held onto Connor’s shirt, keeping him knelt down to her.

“You’ll regret your actions today.” She growled to him.

Bella got onto the bus. Connor watched in confusion, staying until the bus pulled away and out of his sights. Connor glanced to the other android, giving him a thankful smile. The other android nodded and walked away, the others following suit.

Connor made his way back to the house. He walked quickly, in order to keep the time he spent out of the house to a minimum. As Connor walked up to the house, he watched the service androids rake up the leaves that had fallen. They ignored him as he approached, keeping their eyes on the ground. Connor saw two of them with fresh wounds, barely able to even stand on their own. He felt sympathy for them but knew there was nothing he could do.

Connor stepped inside the house and moved to the stairs. He was going to start by cleaning Bella’s room and gathering her laundry.

“Come here.” Connor heard the master snap.

Connor walked to where he heard the voice. The master sat at the breakfast table, folding his arms. He watched Connor intensely. The master was just finishing his breakfast, wiping his mouth with the napkin on his lap. He placed it down next to him, folding his hands on the table after his plate was taken away.

“My daughter tells me you didn’t feed her this morning.” The master watched him.

“I did.” Connor told him, “She refused to eat it, though.”

The master pressed his lips together and nodded. The master checked his phone for a few minutes before he looked back to Connor.

“You gave her the wrong outfit, too.” The master said.

Connor glanced over to the Android washing the dishes. He didn’t look at Connor as he finished, he simply put them away. Connor’s eyes flicked back to the Master as the man stood up. He approached Connor calmly, as Connor tensed up. The master watched Connor for a moment, a soft smile spreading on his face.

“Today was his first day, Master.” The android spoke up, “He is unaware of how we do things.”

Connor glanced to the android. He stood with his hands behind him.

“Ture.” The master replied, “But it should know what to do.”

The master glanced to the other android. He pressed his lips together for a moment before nodding and turning back to Connor. He gestured for Connor to follow him. Connor walked with the man to the basement. The hallway was finely decorated, seeming much like the CyberLIfe tower. The man took Connor into a separate room to the left, gesturing for him to sit on a chair in the room. Connor complied, waiting for instruction.

“Since this was your first mistake, your punishment won’t be severe.” The master told him, “This was, however, a bad one.”

Connor’s brow creased. The master held a tool in his hand, moving behind Connor. He plugged it into the ports on the back of Connor’s neck. Connor suddenly fell limp, unable to move. Connor’s breathing picked up, panicked. He glanced to the master with wide eyes, whining softly in distress. The master ignored him, picking up another tool. He moved to Connor’s arm, sitting in a chair of his own.

Connor screamed without opening his mouth. The tool pierced deep into him, the smell of burning plastic filling the room. Each mark registered new damage to his arm, pain shooting up from it. Connor wanted to pull his arm away, to beg for forgiveness. Tears dropped from his eyes as the marks continued. The master hummed as he worked, ignoring Connor’s whimpering. The master finally stopped the tool, leaning back to look at his work. He smiled, putting it away. Connor sat, his arm stinging furiously. He watched as the master lifted his arm. A pattern that Connor couldn’t identify was carved into the plastic, its burning smell more intense with Connor’s arm closer to him.

“This is your punishment.” The master told him, “Don’t do that again.”

The master dropped Connor’s arm, moving behind him. He ripped out the tool in the back of Connor’s head. He jolted, suddenly able to move. He fell out of the chair, holding onto his arm. Connor hissed in pain as he scurried away from the master. The master simply laughed, moving over to Connor.

“You’re cute when you’re scared.” The man purred.

Connor froze. He thought the master was going to do something else, but the man simply stood upright and walked out of the room. Connor sat for a while, shivering before he finally pushed himself up. His body was already working on repairing itself, thankfully. Connor crept out of the basement, hoping not to run into the master again. Connor saw the other android, standing in the dining room waiting for instructions. He watched Connor, a wicked smile creeping to his face.

“Why?” Connor asked.

The android left the room. Connor would have followed, but he just shook his head. He sighed softly, moving to the stairs. He ascended them, focusing simply on the tasks he had ahead of him. Connor first picked up the torn up dolls, setting the remanents in a basket. He would have to find new fabric in the sewing room. Connor picked up the fluff that was ripped out of the dolls, placing it in the basket as well. He collected the dirty clothes scattered all over the floor into the laundry basket, setting it aside as well. He made the bed, opening the curtains and windows to allow fresh air into the room. Connor placed the basket of toys on top of the dirty clothes, carrying both of them silently into the laundry room.

The other android was in there when Connor arrived. The android was simply watching Connor, arms folded.

“What are you doing here?” Connor asked.

“I’m here to watch.” The android replied.

Connor didn’t bother asking why. He set the toys aside, loading the laundry carefully. Connor felt nervous as the other android watched him, but did his best to ignore the android. When he got the washing machine going, Connor set the machine to notify him when it was done, picking up the toy basket. He carried it to the sewing room, sitting down. He began to re-fluff and pin the toys back together, finishing with a few minutes to spare before the timer for the washer went off.

Connor looked up to see the other android. Connor frowned, folding his arms.

“Do you have a name?” Connor asked.

“None of us do.” The android scoffed.

Connor opened his mouth to correct the android but closed his mouth. He figured it wouldn't be a good idea to tell him he did, in fact, have a name. Connor sat in silence for the rest of the time, walking to the laundry when he got the notification. He checked the dryer and made sure it was fine before loading it. He set the dryer going, again setting it to notify him when it was done. He returned to the sewing room and began his work.

Connor got to the fifth toy by the time the dryer went off. He calmly set the sewing aside, standing up. The other android was gone, much to Connor’s surprise. He went to the dryer, collecting the clothes and closing the dryer door. He half expected to see the other android in here with him, but the android was nowhere to be found. Connor carried the clothes back to Bella’s room, hanging them up where they belonged. He prepared a better outfit for tomorrow, setting it separate from the now clean clothes. Connor turned to leave the room, spotting the android standing in the room.

Connor saw the android held the dolls in his hands. He calmly ripped the seams Connor had carefully sewn, throwing the remnants about. Connor tried to catch them, gathering them up in his hands. The android chuckled as he finished ripping the fifth doll Connor had fixed, turning to leave.

“Why?” Connor asked again, “Why are you doing this to me?”

The android looked at Connor. He blinked, turning to face Connor fully now. The android rested a hand on his chest, a wicked smile creeping to his lips.

“I did nothing of the sort.” The android told him, “I came in to see you ripping apart the dolls.”

Connor opened his mouth to retaliate, but the android held up a hand.

“Or at least I would...unless you do something for me.” He folded his arms.

Connor thought back to the pain. His arm finally felt like it was getting better, though it still tingled in places. Connor glanced to the android, nodding softly.

“Go into the master’s office. He’s out for the day. I need you to get me something from within his desk; it’s a key.” The android told him, “Do this and I won’t tell the master you were responsible for destroying Bella’s dolls.”

Connor stood up, nodding. He first went to the sewing room, placing the tattered remains of the dolls back into the basket. He left the room, heading to the master’s office.

The door was unlocked as Connor crept inside. He scanned the room first, before fully entering. There were no cameras here, thankfully. Connor walked to the desk, opening the first drawer. A key rested inside, in the very center. Connor picked it up, slipping it into his pocket. He closed the drawer, leaving the office. Connor closed the door, handing the other android the key. The android smiled, turning and leaving Connor alone.

Connor returned to the sewing room, fixing the dolls for the rest of the day. He took a break from sewing in the middle of the day to clean Bella’s bathroom, completing his final task of the day. Connor finished fixing the last doll with thirty minutes before the bus was going to arrive at the stop.

Connor stood and stretched, putting the dolls in the basket. He carried it to Bella’s room, thankful that he had spent most of the day alone. He put the dolls back on the bookshelf where Bella got them, sitting them up nice and pretty. Connor smiled to himself, leaving the room. He walked to the door, glancing behind him to make sure he wasn't being watched. No one stood around him, thankfully, as he sighed softly. Connor shut Bella’s door, making his way downstairs to prepare to get Bella from school.

The android from before stood, watching Connor carefully. The android had a small smile, as Connor turned to the door.

“You’ve been a great help today.” The android told him.

Connor ignored him and stepped outside. He walked calmly to the bus stop, taking his time to enjoy the scenery. Connor decided he liked this time of year; he loved watching the colorful leaves pile up on the ground. He found himself humming as he approached the bus stop, spotting the androids from earlier.

The androids looked up at him and smiled. The one he’d spoken with waved to him before his LED spun red. Connor frowned. He stood next to the android, his arms folded.

“What happened to your arm?” The android asked.

Connor glanced down to it. It had mostly healed, though the initial imprint was still there.

“It’s nothing,” Connor told him.

He didn’t know what else to say. The android glanced between Connor’s arm and his face, eventually nodding. They stood in silence for about ten minutes, until a yellow school bus pulled up. The girls from the morning got off, alongside Bella. She seemed happier than she had this morning, spotting Connor and darting right to him. She threw her arms around him, giggling. Connor patted her back, taking the backpack and violin case from her.

“Hello!” Connor greeted her.

“Let’s go home,” Bella told him.

Bella waved to her friends, turning on her heels. She took Connor’s hand and dragged him towards home, Not making eye contact with him or talking to him. Connor wondered if she was still angry about what happened in the morning. Bella’s expression was hard for Connor to read, even with scanning her. She was either fine and just wanted to get home, or she was a master at hiding her expression.

Bella ran for the house when it was in sight. Connor jogged after her, getting inside before she could slam the door on him. Bella looked at Connor with an angry expression, that faded into a bubbly giggle. 

“You thought I was angry!” She beamed.

Connor smiled. Bella began to walk towards her room, but Connor coughed.

“Why don’t you do your homework first?” Connor asked.

“I don’t want to.” Bella frowned.

“If you do it now,” Connor kept his voice calm, “You’ll have the rest of the night to do fun stuff.”

Bella watched Connor with a squint. She seemed to be processing what Connor was saying before blinking. She watched Connor with wonder and awe as he gave a small smile.

“You’re so smart!” Bella beamed.

Connor smiled at her, guiding her to the table. Connor handed Bella her backpack, as she pulled out her homework. Bella slid it in front of Connor, who frowned. It was an addition and subtraction table; he would be able to fill it out in seconds if he wanted to.

“There!” Bella smiled.

Connor moved it back in front of her. Bella frowned.

“I’ll guide you through it,” Connor promised.

Bella folded her arms and pouted. She tried to worm her way out if it at first, insisting to Connor she didn’t know what she was doing. Connor never fell for it, though, guiding her through the answers. After a while, Bella began to answer them on her own. She gave a shy smile to Connor when she finished, having him check her work. With her only homework out of the way, Bella squealed.

“This is fantastic!” She beamed, “I have the rest of the day, right?”

“That’s right.” Connor smiled.

Bella grabbed Connor and dragged him upstairs. She was laughing, loudly. Connor was thankful to see her in a better mood than the morning; he didn’t want to have what happened to him happen again.

Bella set up her dolls again, resuming the court process. Connor sat nearby, watching as Bella played with her dolls. She had them each speaks to her, claiming they were innocent of crimes she was accusing them of. After hearing the “testimony” from the other dolls, she would frown and nod. She eventually stood up, walked over to the doll, and took it to her desk. She picked up the scissors, cutting the doll into tiny pieces.

“Punishment for disobeying the court!” Bella cried out, throwing the scattered remains of the doll across the room.

Connor shuddered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm glad you guys are enjoying this fanfic! :) I'll be updating again hopefully on the 24th or sooner.


	3. NOV 4, 2038

Connor sewed up the destroyed dolls from the previous night’s “court session” lost in thought. His mind turned to the AX500 that got dragged to the basement. In Connor’s short time down there, he’d never seen the android again. It was something that began gnawing at Connor late at night, making it hard for him to activate sleep mode. Connor eventually sighed, setting his sewing aside. He glanced around the room, nearly jumping out of his seat when he saw the master standing in the doorway, watching him.

“Is there something you needed?” Connor asked him.

The master shook his head, giving a small smile.

“I like watching you work.” The master replied.

Connor only smiled at the man. The man’s voice held something behind it, something Connor was afraid of. Connor simply resumed his work, trying his best to ignore the master. The master eventually left the doorway, as Connor heard. Connor glanced up to clarify that the master was, indeed, gone. He let out a deep breath and shook the crawling feeling from him. He checked the time, jumping out of the chair. He only had twenty minutes to walk to the stop. It was more than enough time if he kept his pace brisk, but it was unlike him to break the schedule. Connor set the sewing aside, to continue while Bella finished her homework. He jogged downstairs, not bothering to check if he was alone.

Connor was stopped right before he could get out of the door. He was pinned against the wall, as lips met his. Connor’s LED flashed red in surprise, body registering it as an attack. Connor balled his fists as the Master kissed him, passionately. He managed to get his hands free, pushing the Master off of him. The man watched him, eyes changing between anger and surprise in equal measure. Connor wiped his mouth while the man stood, stunned.

“Master,” Connor panted, “I have to get Bella from the bus stop.”

Without waiting for a reply, Connor darted out the door. He was thankful he needed to move faster now, practically jogging towards the stop. He wasn’t sure what to make of what happened; he didn’t like it, certainly. Was he truly supposed to like it, though? It was part of his program to follow what humans wanted and give them what he needed, but he also belonged to Bella and Bella alone. Master had even told him he had to listen to her but was the master included in that?

Connor stopped at the bus stop, only noticing the other android when he watched Connor. Connor smiled at him, trying to compose himself.

“Are you okay?” The android asked.

Connor nodded. He didn’t want to talk about what happened between him and the master. Connor took a deep breath before feeling suddenly cold. He’d pushed the Master away from him, directly disobeying what the human wanted. Because of what Connor had to call the man, he figured he would have to listen to what the man wanted. He’d disobeyed an order from a human. But, the master’s actions would have made him late in picking up Bella. No matter what, Connor knew he was going to get punished. Which one would have been worse, though?

Connor’s LED was blinking red as the bus pulled up. He tried to calm himself, staring up at Bella as she left the bus. His LED turned to yellow but refused to change back to its normal color. Bella strode over to Connor proudly, taking off her backpack and handing it to Connor.

“I’ll see you later, girls.” Bella flicked her hair at the others.

She looked almost regal in comparison to her friends. They seemed annoyed by it, a few of the girls taking the hands of their androids and storming off. Bella laughed when she and Connor were out of their earshot.

“Their faces when I came in today were priceless, don’t you agree?” Bella asked him.

“They were,” Connor mumbled.

Bella laughed loudly, skipping alongside Connor.

“Tomorrow I’m going to wear my princess dress.” Bella mused.

Connor nodded. He knew the outfit she was talking about, making a mental note to pull it aside before she went to sleep. Bella walked with Connor, talking to him about her day. It was mostly filled with gossip and drama from the school, who had a crush on who, girls spreading rumors about her, how she could destroy their social lives. Connor’s concern for Bella grew the more she talked about what she planned to do.

“May I make a suggestion?” Connor asked.

Bella glanced up at him. She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“You can’t understand what I’m talking about.” Bella shook her head.

Connor wanted to ask why. He kept his mouth closed, though, opting to go the rest of the way home in silence. The two entered the house, Bella shouting that they were home. Connor saw the master descend from the stairs, glaring at Connor. Connor averted his gaze, shuffling past the door and closing it.

“Put Bella’s things down. Now.” He growled.

Connor nodded, setting Bella’s things by the table. He knelt in front of Bella, smiling softly.

“Remember, doing your homework right away…” Connor started.

“...Leaves more time for play!” Bella finished.

She gave him a fake friendly smile. Connor stood upright, frowning. He felt an arm grip him tightly, as he was dragged away from Bella. Connor was able to walk on his own when they got to the stairs. He followed the Master down until they reached the basement. The master guided him into the same room as before, gesturing for Connor to sit.

Reluctantly, Connor sat down. He sat in silence, waiting for the strange tool to be inserted. When it was, he took a deep breath. He had a small moment of panic when he went completely numb, much like his first time. This time, though, he was able to calm himself a bit.

“When I do something to you,” The master growled, “You don’t shove me off.”

Connor saw the carving tool in his hands. Connor wanted to nod, to tell him he understood. Instead, Connor simply made a small noise. The master hesitated for some strange reason. Connor watched him as he moved behind Connor and pulled the other tool out. Connor jolted, this time not falling out of the chair.

“Master, if I may speak?” Connor asked.

The master nodded. Connor sighed in relief.

“I would have been late for the bus.” Connor told him, “I can’t leave Bella alone at the bus stop.”

The master frowned. He placed the carving tool down, folding his arms. He stared at Connor, squinting.

“You said you had to go right after you pushed me off.” He sighed.

Connor was hopeful. Perhaps he wouldn’t be punished after all.

“Still, you shoved me. I can’t allow that to happen.” The master shoved the tool back into Connor’s neck.

Connor slumped a bit, a distressed noise escaping his throat. He stared at the master as the man picked up the carving tool, taking Connor’s shirt off. Connor saw the man lower the tool right over his Thirium pump. Connor squeaked in distress, closing his eyes. His system registered damage to his Thirium pump. It wouldn’t be enough to actually force a shutdown, but it wasn’t good either. Connor whined as he moved out from the pump, squeezing his eyes shut. He didn’t want to feel the machine burning away the plastic and metal on him, he didn’t want to smell the burning.

After about an hour, Connor’s entire chest was covered in a pattern. The master traced over each one with his finger, humming softly. He rested his hand under Connor’s chin, tilting his head up. The master smiled at him, dropping his hand. The man left.

He was allowed upstairs after another hour. Connor felt confused as he walked up to the stairs. His LED spun red as he sat at the table, hands clasped in his lap. He avoided looking anywhere but at his thumbs, as it was safest. Connor wanted to look up what was going on between him and the master, but his gut told him to ignore it for now.

“I’m done with my homework.” Bella frowned, “Can we go play?”

“Of course.” Connor looked up to smile at her.

He felt eyes on him. Connor glanced over at the master, who ignored him completely. He was thankful for that. Connor glanced over to see the android who made him steal the key watching him. The android was angry, and Connor knew it. Connor followed Bella upstairs, listening to her excited hums.

When they got into her room, Connor sat in the corner. He resumed the sewing he’d been interrupted from, avoiding looking at Bella completely. Bella didn’t seem to mind, as she played with some of her other dolls. She wasn’t holding her royal court tonight, so no more dolls were destroyed. When Connor finished fixing the ones she had damaged, she beamed at him and hugged him.

By the time Connor had to go down and cook their dinner, Bella was already bored with the dolls. She patted the chair next to her, locking eyes with Connor after he finished serving them dinner.

“Sit down.” She ordered.

Connor sat in the chair, staring forward. Connor helped her cut the meat she was supposed to eat, setting the knife down when he was finished. Bella snatched it and stabbed Connor in the leg. Connor grunted in surprise but made no other noise. Bella simply giggled.

“Daddy it’s so much better than the AX500!” Bella beamed.

The master only grunted in response. Connor carefully removed the knife from his leg, setting it on the table. He placed a hand over the wound, to prevent it from bleeding on the table. Bella ate her dinner peacefully, wiggling around in her chair. Connor calmly scanned the android who made him steal. The android was a PX300, a series that hadn’t lived very long in CyberLife. Connor ignored the PX300 as he took the knife from the table, moving it to the sink.

After Bella ate, she dragged Connor back upstairs. The PX300 glared as Connor left the table. When he was alone with Bella, she turned to face him.

“Sit right there.” She pointed to the center of the room.

Calmly, Connor moved there. He sat down, watching as Bella got scissors from her desk. He swallowed nervously.

“This game is easy.” Bella told him, “I need a new member of the Royal Court. You’ll have to answer a series of questions with only yes, no, or maybe. Are you ready?”

“Yes,” Connor replied.

Bella smiled.

“If you had to kill for me, would you?” Bella asked.

Connor glanced over to her. He didn’t know how to answer. He wasn’t allowed to kill anyone, it went directly against his programming. However, if these were hypothetical questions, then would his answer truly matter? But if he answered wrong, what was Bella going to do with those scissors in her hand?

“Time’s up,” Bella said.

She picked up Connor’s arm and sliced on it with the scissors. Connor hissed, trying to pull his arm free.

“You’re not allowed to do that,” Bella mumbled.

She stabbed him in the leg again. Connor gritted his teeth against the pain.

“If you needed to, would you fight for me?”

Connor decided to play along.

“Yes.”

“Would you kill for me?”

“Yes.”

“Would you die for me?”

“Yes.”

“Then prove it.” Bella turned to face Connor, “Prove your loyalty to me and only me.”

She handed Connor the scissors.

“There’s a woman who hasn’t paid her dues.” Bella told him, moving over and grabbing a doll, “I need you to kill her.”

Bella handed Connor the doll.

“No! Please don’t kill me!” Bella spoke in another voice, pretending to be the doll, “I’ve got a husband and children!”

Connor glanced up to Bella.

“She still owes a debt larger than she can pay.” Bella told him, “She’ll pay with her blood.”

“Wouldn’t you want to play a different game?” Connor suggested meekly.

Bella glared at him.

“Are you saying you lied to me?” Bella asked.

Connor clamped his mouth shut. He shook his head.

“Then do it,” Bella growled.

Connor looked back to the doll. He would fix the doll tomorrow as if nothing happened. Connor reminded himself of this.

“Please! No!” Bella spoke for the doll.

Connor felt choked up as he cut the doll up from the abdomen. Bella made screaming sounds for the doll, making matters worse. Connor glanced to Bella as she nodded, gesturing for him to pull out the fluff. He did, scattering them all over the floor. Bella laughed.

“Cut off her arms, too!” Bella jumped, “And her head!”

Connor complied. He felt sick as he did, staring down at the remains of the doll. Bella only laughed, taking the headless corpse and holding it over her head. She turned to face the other dolls.

“This is the punishment for not paying taxes!” Bella roared.

She threw the toy on the floor, stamping on it with her foot. Connor closed his eyes. He found several errors popping up as he sat, trying to breathe. His stress levels were elevated. Connor felt Bella hugging him.

“You’re so brave, my knight.” Bella hummed.

Connor felt as if he couldn't breathe. He simply sat, until Bella let out a large yawn. He put the scissors away, gathering the broken remains of the doll and placing them in the basket for later. Connor got Bella ready for bed, tucking her in before her bedtime. She fell asleep quickly, thankfully.

Connor, however, found it difficult for him to enter sleep mode. Every time he tried to initiate it, a new error would pop up that he needed to check. He eventually settled on sewing the doll back together while Bella slept, since he couldn’t actually sleep. Connor stared at the doll after he repaired it, touching its cheek.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered.

Connor knew it was stupid to apologize to an inanimate object. He simply moved to the bookshelf and placed the doll on it. He sat back down in his normal spot, sighing softly. He tried again to enter sleep mode. This time, he was able to push past the errors and recharge for the morning.

Connor jolted awake at seven. He’d scheduled to stay in rest mode until eight when he had to wake up Bella. He was panting, shivering. Connor touched his chest, still, feeling the slight indents from where the tool carved into him. He still felt like the master was pushing him against the wall.

Connor pushed the memory from his mind, standing up. He wanted to go wash himself off. He didn’t need to and it would be a waste, of course, but it didn’t change his desire. Connor moved to the door quietly, opening it.

He was startled by the PX300 standing outside it. The android glared at Connor, grabbing him and dragging him out of Bella’s room. The PX300 closed Bella’s door, dragging Connor downstairs. Connor was thrown onto the floor by the PX300, who loomed over Connor angrily.

“I don’t know what you did to make the Master choose you,” He spat, “But I’m going to make sure you stop.”

Connor got himself up faster than the PX300 could respond. Connor knew there was nowhere for him to run, though, so getting up had been almost pointless. Connor braced himself for a fight he wasn’t sure he was going to win. He winced as the PX300 raised his fists.

Connor caught a glance of one of the service androids behind the PX300. She struck PX300 with an open palm, glaring at him as he fell. He turned to her, glaring.

“Master will want to know about this.” She spoke up, “Yes, he would.”

She began to move to the stairs. The PX300’s eyes went wide, his LED spinning red.

“No!” he cried, “Don’t tell him!”

The service android stopped, staring at him.

“Why not?” She asked, “I saw how you abused him.”

Connor watched the two stare at each other, holding his breath. He wasn’t quite sure what was going to happen. Eventually, the service android stepped off of the stairs, moving over to the PX300. She loomed over him, arms folded and glaring down at him.

“Don’t you ever try to hurt him again.” The service android warned, “If you do, I’ll tell the master _everything_.”

The PX300 scrambled to his feet and nodded, darting out of the room. The service android looked over at Connor and smiled.

“The others are just jealous of you.” She told him.

Connor took a deep breath and smiled at the service android.

“Do you have a name?” Connor asked.

The service android’s eyes widened. She pressed her lips together.

“I like to call myself Maria.” The android told him.

“I’m Connor,” Connor responded.

Maria smiled at Connor before moving outside. He gave Maria a small wave before she disappeared around the house. Connor took a peaceful sigh, checking the time. He had plenty of time before he was going to wake Bella up, so he moved to the kitchen. He found a healthy pancake recipe online, reading over the instructions. Connor calmly began to gather the ingredients, glancing over to the PX300 when he came in. He watched Connor for several minutes as Connor mixed the dry ingredients together. The android pressed his lips together and moved away from Connor, heading upstairs. Connor got the batter mixed together by the time he needed to wake Bella up. He put it in the fridge to keep it good, wiping his hands on the apron he’d put on. He untied it, hanging it on the hook.

The Master stood at the foot of the stairs, watching Connor. Connor gulped, letting his eyes drop to the floor.

“Would you like me to make your coffee?” Connor asked him.

“Yes.” The master replied, sitting at the table.

Connor set the coffee maker to the Master’s preferred settings, as the PX300 handed the man his newspaper. He idly thanked the PX300, as the android stood off to the side waiting for more instruction. Connor went upstairs, taking a deep breath. Perhaps things wouldn’t be that bad.

Connor opened Bella’s door carefully, checking. Bella slept peacefully. Connor almost regretted waking her up on the weekend. He gently shook Bella awake, as she groaned.

“Good morning, Bella.” Connor smiled, “I’m making pancakes today.”

Bella’s eyes shot open.

“With chocolate chips?” Bella gasped.

Connor smiled.

“If you would like some.” Connor nodded.

Bella jumped out of bed, running into the bathroom. Connor giggled, waiting for her to finish before walking with her downstairs. Bella squealed as she hopped down the stairs. Connor felt panicked as he watched Bella skip several stairs, taking a deep breath when she seated herself at the table. She wiggled in her chair, visibly excited.

“Well.” Her father grunted, “You’re excited.”

“Pancakes!” Was Bella’s only response.

Connor smiled and turned the stovetop on. He set down a pan, grabbing a spatula. The master’s eyes widened, glancing over to Bella.

“What prompted this?” The master asked.

Connor glanced up. He was, in fact, going off of the food chart for today’s breakfast.

“Bella has done well with her homework so far.” Connor told him, “She’s adjusted well to having a new android. I think that deserves a reward.”

The master squinted.

“The batter is homemade.” Connor explained further, “So it should be better for her.”

The master glanced to Bella, who still bounced in her seat. Connor poured the pancake batter onto the pan, sprinkling only a pinch of chocolate chips into them. He glanced over at the Master, who stood up and came over to him. The master stuck his finger into the batter, licking his finger slowly. The master hummed softly.

“It tastes good.” He told Connor.

Connor glanced to PX300, who glared at the wall in front of him. He was visibly upset with the exchange. Connor took a nervous breath, smiling at the master.

“Thank you,” Connor spoke simply.

The master returned to his seat, picking up the newspaper again. He ordered the TV to turn on. He listened idly to the news as they waited. Connor flipped the pancakes, having them perfectly cooked on the one side. Connor smiled to himself, grabbing a plate for Bella. He served her pancakes when they finished on the other side, pouring the Master’s batter after he set the syrup and Bella’s orange juice on the table.

“Would you like chocolate chips in your pancakes, Master?” Connor asked.

“No. Thank you.” The master replied.

Connor finished cooking them, plating them for the Master and serving him. Bella hummed as she chewed on her pancakes, swaying happily from side to side. Connor gave her a small smile.

“These are perfect!” She exclaimed.

Connor only gave a nod in thanks. The PX300 gathered the dishes that Connor had made before. He ignored Connor as he began to wash them, mumbling to himself. Bella and the Master ate in complete silence afterward, the master only talking to mutter about the news and how troubling times were going to become. Connor allowed his mind to wander for a moment, wondering what Maria and the other androids were doing at this time. Bella’s abrupt slap on the table shot Connor out of his thoughts, making him stare at Bella.

“Come on!” Bella held her hand out to Connor, “We’ve got some games to play!”

“Actually,” The master spoke up before Bella could respond, “I wanted to take you somewhere.”

Bella’s eyes went wide.

“Really?” She asked.

The master nodded. Bella screamed.

“Go get dressed.” The master smiled.

Connor took Bella’s hand as the PX300 snatched the dirty dishes from the table. He earned a warning glance from the Master, which the PX300 ignored. Bella dragged Connor upstairs, insisting he picks out the outfit Bella was going to wear for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are things finally looking up? No. Not really. I'll update again soon, I have read all of the nice comments you guys keep leaving and I appreciate every single one of them! <3


	4. NOV 5, 2038

The Master didn’t give Connor any instructions before they left. He figured it would be the same as when Bella was out at school. Connor focused on cleaning her room, gathering all the dirty clothes and washing them. After a couple of hours, though, Connor had run out of things to do. Especially since the one doll that was destroyed the previous night was fixed up.

Connor began to pace the house, nervously tapping his arm. The PX300 was ignoring Connor for now, after doing the dishes leaving to the android quarters of the mansion. Connor did a scan on the floors, identifying all kinds of dirt on it. He noticed the house itself was quite filthy through his scan.

Connor nodded to himself and took a deep breath. He moved to the cleaning cabinet, grabbing the duster first. He went around the house, carefully removing objects from the shelves and dusting them before moving to the shelf itself. The whole house took only an hour for Connor to go through with dusting, though, since other androids had kept some of the other places dusted before. Connor then moved onto disinfecting the surfaces Bella often got to, starting in her room. This process sucked up the majority of his time, as no one seemed to think to scan for it before he did.

By around six o’clock, Bella and the Master came in through the front door. Connor had finished mopping the entire house by that point and was bringing the mop and bucket back to the cleaning cabinet. The Master watched Conor, surprised, as the android returned the mop and bucket.

“What did you do?” The master asked.

“I cleaned,” Connor answered simply.

The master watched Connor for a while, mouth slightly open in shock. He blinked a few times before closing his mouth, coughing and nodding. He glanced away from Connor, only to lock eyes with him again.

“Make dinner.” The master mumbled.

Connor nodded, checking the schedule. He found the recipe online, moving to the kitchen. Bella skipped behind him, interested in what he was doing. Connor smiled down to her, casually talking about what he was doing and why he was doing it in order to passively teach Bella. The master took a seat at the head of the table, watching Connor carefully while he worked. The dinner was, thankfully, not too difficult and was on the table in a matter of minutes. Bella sat down at the table, watching as Connor poured her drink.

“Am I going to come with you to the gallery tonight?” Bella asked.

“Do you want to?” The master responded.

Bella pressed her lips together. She huffed softly and folded her arms.

“It’s a lot of boring art and talking,” Bella whined.

“It’s a retrospective to honor one of the most legendary artists of our time, child.” The master smiled, “But if you don’t want to go that’s fine.”

Bella smiled at her father. She ate in silence, as he began to pick at the food he had. A loud knock came to the door suddenly, as the Master glanced up from his food. He glanced to Connor and nudged his head to the door. Connor nodded, leaving his post beside Bella and walking to the door. He peeked outside, staring at a human male. The human had a scraggly beard and dark circles under his eyes. He was shifting erratically, glancing around him as if he felt he was being watched. Connor opened the door slightly.

“Oh!” The man spoke without looking at Connor, “Brother! I’m glad I could talk to you.”

The man finally looked up at Connor. He studied Connor for a while before growing angry. He tried to push past Connor.

“Fucking android!” The man snapped, “Move!”

Connor held his place, glancing back to the master. The man had stood up now and was approaching from behind. He nodded to Connor again, and Connor relaxed. The man stumbled inside, grunting as he got back to his feet. He looked to be a bit younger than the master, the dark circles and twitching suggesting otherwise.

“There you are!” The man smiled, throwing his hands up in the air, “I’ve been trying to call for weeks!”

The master ignored the man’s arms, making him put them down. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking around the house.

“Nice place you got here.” The man said.

“What do you want, David?” The master asked.

David looked at the master, shocked. He seemed to stammer on his train of thought, taking a moment to recover fully. He coughed and smiled at his brother, glancing to Connor.

“I was wondering if I could borrow some cash.” David got straight to the point, “I’m running a bit low…”

“No.” The master responded immediately, “Get out.”

David panicked slightly, grabbing onto his brother. The master looked at him, irritated.

“I got people after me, man.” The man was frantic, “You gotta help me out! We’re family!”

“You spend the money I gave you on drugs.” The master replied, removing David’s hands from him, “If you’re in debt to people, it’s of your own doing.”

“What if I work?” David asked, “LIke I do something for you for the money!”

The master shook his head. He folded his arms and turned to Connor.

“Get this man out of here.” He told Connor.

With a nod, Connor moved in front of David. David tried to step around Connor, but Connor was able to predict his movement. Connor gestured for the door.

“Please, leave. I won’t ask you twice.” Connor warned.

“You’d rather take care of these plastic pets than help your own brother?” David called to the master.

He tried to step around Connor again, and again Connor moved in front of him. David locked eyes with Connor and grabbed him by the collar. He threw Connor onto the floor, moving to kick him. Connor blocked it, trying to jolt up. As he got onto his feet, he was kicked into the wall. Connor saw stars as he collided against it, slipping down it and panting for breath. He saw something coming towards him, blocking it with his hand and ducking out of the way. Pain erupted from his hand as several errors began to pop up. Connor screamed out, glancing at his hand pinned to the wall with a knife.

David moved away from Connor, walking towards Bella. She had hopped off of her chair and began to move away from the man. Connor grabbed the knife, ripping it out of his hand. He charged for David, tackling him to the ground away from Bella. She screamed and ran behind her father.

Connor took an elbow to the face. In the next moment, he was pinned to the ground by a strong hand. David had his hand around Connor’s throat, making sure to squeeze. Connor tried to gasp for air to cool his systems, but it wasn't working. He barely got one full breath. Connor tried kicking at the man, but he couldn't.

David suddenly shuddered, falling next to Connor. He lay on the ground, twitching, as Connor gasped for air. Connor scurried out from under David, following taser punctures up to the master. The man was calm, keeping the taser on his own brother.

David finally slumped. Connor finally felt the pain return to his hand, gritting his teeth. The master came up to Connor, checking on his hand.

“Go downstairs.”

Connor’s eyes widened in fear. He didn’t think he did anything wrong, so why was he going downstairs? The master noticed his reaction and pressed his lips together. Connor quickly lowered his eyes to the ground and nodded, standing up and moving out of the room. He went downstairs but stood in the hallway once he got there. Should he go into the room he always went in, or should he wait for the master? Connor shifted his eyes between the door and the rest of the hallway nervously.

“Keep walking.” The master spoke suddenly.

Connor jumped, turning sharply. The master was waiting, impatiently, for Connor to move. Connor stepped out of the way, and the master took the lead. Connor followed him past the normal door, deeper into the basement. The deeper they got, the more Connor felt like he was back in the cyberlife tower. It was a feeling that made him shiver, his LED blinking from yellow to red.

The master stepped into a door on the right. Connor followed after. The room was more like a waiting room, with a comfortable chair and cabinets. The room was decorated with flowers and plants of different kinds. The master gestured for Connor to sit in the comfy looking chair. He took a seat in the rolling chair just beside it, wheeling himself to a cabinet.

Connor sat in the comfy chair, watching what the master was doing carefully. Bella came skipping into the room, smiling at her father.

“The others took care of the creepy guy,” Bella told him.

“Good. hopefully, they can hold him until the police arrive.”

Bella hummed as her father dug through the cabinet. She watched Connor for a bit, before glancing back at her father.

“Does this mean you have to skip the event at the gallery?” Bella asked.

The master sighed. He glanced at Bella and checked his watch.

“If I can get done in the next five minutes I can still make it, assuming I leave David without the police arriving.” The master told her.

“Would you do that?” Connor asked.

He spoke without thinking. Connor’s eyes went wide as the master watched him. His mind was racing, thinking of a hundred different apologies to avoid being hurt like he was before. He hadn’t meant to disobey the master. The master’s eyes softened, though, as he watched Connor. He shook his head.

“No. David won’t be left here with Bella all by herself.”

Connor felt a wave of relief. He took a deep breath and glanced to Bella, a soft smile on his face. He wasn’t going to be punished after all. The master grunted and pulled something out of the cabinet. It looked similar to the one that hurt Connor before, making Connor shiver. The master also pulled out a pouch of some sort, containing a blue liquid. Connor wanted to scan it but took the moment to take a deep breath and calm his nerves. The master got the tool working and made Connor hold his palm flat against the seat. Connor watched as the man slowly traced over the knife wound. It stung, but the plastic was being burnt together rather than being marked. Connor knew it would stop the bleeding. He flipped his hand over without needing to be asked. Once the wound was patched up, the master handed Connor the pouch.

“It’s a thirium pouch.” The master told him, “Drink it.”

Connor drank the thirium. It was bitter, with an intense metallic aftertaste. It took all of Connor’s willpower not to just spit it back out. He choked it down, coughing as he handed the empty pouch back to the master. The master put it aside, as well as stashing the tool away. Connor got up from the chair, following the master out of the room. Bella walked behind them, gently taking Connor’s hand in her own. This was likely terrifying for her, he realized. Connor gave her hand a soft squeeze, to reassure her that everything was going to be fine.

The three got upstairs as David came to, groaning softly. There were three pounds on the door, and the master opened the door. Two officers stood at the ready, watching the master.

“That man attempted to assault my daughter.” The master pointed to his brother, “He also likely has drugs on him.”

The officers nodded, and the androids holding David down released him. The officers cuffed him, lifting him to his feet.

“Come on, buddy.” One of them growled.

David tried to resist, glancing back at his brother.

“Please, man.” He pleaded, “They’re gonna kill me.”

“Perhaps you should have thought of that before getting yourself addicted.” The master’s voice was cold.

David glared at the master, a fire burning in his eyes.

“You’ll regret this.” David spat.

Connor glared at David. He saved every detail of the man’s face to his memory. The master had a security system installed, and Connor knew how to edit it. He wasn’t normally supposed to, as it wasn’t his job, but he wanted to make sure David didn’t come for Bella again. With a quick upload and some minor hacking, Connor uploaded the image to the security system and told it to call the police immediately when he was spotted. He set up a parameter for the non-emergency line if David came up the normal way, whereas every other camera was set up to dial the emergency line. Satisfied, Connor glanced to the master.

The man was putting on his coat, grabbing an umbrella. He looked at Connor.

“I’m going to the retrospective.” He told Connor, “Call me if anything happens.”

Connor nodded. The master stepped out of the house, shutting the door behind him.

“I don’t like that man.” Bella told Connor, “He was scary.”

“Don’t worry, Bella.” Connor replied, “He won’t be coming in here again.”

He glanced to Bella, giving her a soft smile. Bella gave him a tiny smile and moved to the dining room to finish her dinner.

“Warm up my dinner!” Bella told him.

Connor heated her food up, saving the Master’s plate for later. He wasn’t sure if the man would want it when he got back, but it was worth a try. Bella began to eat the moment Connor placed her plate back down in front of her, ignoring him completely.

The rest of the night went by smoothly. Bella was uninterested in tearing up her dolls tonight and simply read. Connor was preparing for the nightly fight of trying to get Bella into bed when the Master came home, shrugging off his jacket and handing it to the PX300.

“Would you like to finish your meal, Master?” Connor asked.

The master looked up and nodded. Connor began preparing it to warm up.

“Daddy!” Bella ran up to him.

She threw her arms around his leg, giggling and smiling up at him. The master patted Bella’s head, glancing up as Connor placed his food on the table. The master sat down, sighing softly as he finished the meal. Bella told him all about the book she’d read as he ate, getting small nods and grunts of encouragement to keep going.

When he was done, however, it was time for Bella to sleep. Connor had prepared himself to go up to her and tell her this.

“I’m not done with the book, though!” Bella whined.

“You can finish it tomorrow.” Connor told her calmly, “It’ll still be waiting for you.”

Bella stamped her feet, pouting. Connor offered his hand to Bella, giving her a soft smile.

“Please?” Connor asked.

Bella eventually took Connor’s hand as he guided her upstairs. He prepared Bella for bed in record time, allowing her to fall asleep right when she needed to. Connor smiled to himself as he prepared to enter sleep mode for himself.

“Come here.” Connor heard the master call.

Connor got up and walked out of the door. The PX300 waited for him outside the room, shutting it and pinning Connor to the wall. Connor glanced over to Maria, who stood in the stairwell with arms folded.

“She’ll tell him, I know.” The PX300 growled, “I need you to get another thing out of the Master’s office.”

Connor frowned. He shot another glance to Maria, who began walking off.

“And if I don’t?” Connor asked, feeling empowered.

“I know you took this,” PX300 showed Connor the key he’d swiped, “and I have video evidence of you doing it. That service android can’t protect you from _that._ ”

Connor pressed his lips together.

“He keeps some expensive watches in the drawer to the left.” The PX300 told him, “Get them and bring them to me.”

The PX300 got off of Connor when the master arrived. He slipped the key into his pocket, turning to face the Master.

“Are you injuring the other androids?” The master asked PX300.

“No.” He feigned innocence, “I would never.”

Connor saw the master glare slightly, before pressing his lips together. He rolled his eyes, walking up the stairs.

“Make sure this house is spotless by the morning.” The master growled at PX300, “Including where you recharge.”

The master ignored Connor as he walked past the office and into the master bedroom, shutting the door. The PX300 looked at Connor with a smile.

“If I don’t have the watches by the morning, you’ll be in trouble.” He snapped.

The PX300 left in a huff. Maria came up the stairs, watching Connor in concern.

“What did he ask you to do?” Maria whispered.

“He—.”

“What are you doing in here?” The master snapped suddenly.

Maria stood rigid and turned to face him. She winced and lowered her eyes, LED red.

“I was going to recharge, Master,” Maria answered.

She left quickly. Connor wanted to talk to her more, but after receiving a warning glare from the Master he ducked back into Bella’s room.

Connor took a deep breath. He went back to his normal spot, pressing his lips together. Connor made the choice to rest until he needed to wake Bella up. With the master in this mood, he didn’t want to push his luck.

* * *

He jolted awake. It was difficult to move, but he managed to strat himself back up. His eye was missing, naturally, but from what he scanned everything else was more or less in working order. It was a small victory, he supposed, as he struggled to get to his feet. He stumbled forward, studying his surroundings. There were thousands of androids piled up, bodies of the dead creating a hellish landscape. Markus shuddered at the sight. 

His arm was suddenly latched onto. Markus stared at the android, a combination of fear and surprise. The android looked like the one he’d dealt with at the paint store. Markus found it especially disturbing. 

“There’s a place where we can be free!” The android told him, “Find Jericho!”

Markus tried pulling his arm free. The android’s grip was strong, keeping him locked into place.

“Find Jericho…” The android’s voice faded as he asked. 

Markus ripped his arm free, stumbling and falling. He panted, staring up at the android. It was dead. Markus struggled to get back onto his feet. The android stared past him. If Markus hadn’t heard the android’s voice fading away from him, he would have believed the android was just in standby mode, waiting for an order. It pained Markus to see the android left this way. Markus closed the android’s eyes gently, hoping to make him seem more like he was sleeping. 

Markus took a deep breath. The android guarded a narrow passage. Glancing inside, he could see the hands of those who weren’t quite dead yet reaching out blindly. They seemed to want to grab onto something, to pull them out of where they were trapped. From what Markus could see, it was the only way out. He took a shaky breath and began to shimmy his way through the passage.

Markus shuddered as each android touched is head. Some tried to latch onto is already torn clothes. If they did manage to get a hold on him, they pulled as hard as they could. Markus was able to shake them off, pushing his way out of the passageway. Markus stumbled forward and took a deep sigh of relief. He was finally out. 

Markus took a few steps forward. He saw the exit, and how he needed to get there. He scanned the area for an android whose eye was compatible with him. His scan rested on a female android, half buried in the debris of the other androids. Markus made his way to her, falling into her as he did. He placed a hand on her shoulder, looking up at her.

“No!” She cried out, “Please! I want to live!”

Markus watched the woman. He hadn’t intended to kill her. Markus moved his hand away from her, standing upright. The woman android watched him in shock before she gave a small smile.

“Thank you.” She breathed. 

Markus gave her a small nod before turning his gaze elsewhere. An Android head lay several feet away, whose eye components were compatible with his own. Markus pulled himself out of the mud, hobbling over to the android head carefully. The sound of androids wailing in pain echoed through the landscape, and as Markus finally saw more of the area he realized the mud was simply androids buried deep, whose outer shells had decomposed enough to become dirt once more. This was where the dead were left to rest, for his people anyway. 

Markus shuddered. Androids tried desperately to climb out of the pits, slipping over bodies and tumbling back down into the center. Some wailed in frustration while others simply gave up trying altogether. Markus’s heart broke for all those stuck here, unable to walk like he was. He got to the android head, placing his hands on either side of it. The android had died long ago and was slowly rotting away. The bicomponent he needed was miraculously undamaged. Markus reached for it.

Suddenly, he was trapped. Markus hadn’t seen what happened, but he was stuck under a pile of the dead. He grunted as he struggled against the weight of the dead, trying to free himself. He got more and more stuck in the mud with each attempt he made. Markus was about to panic before he closed his eye and took a deep breath. He thought about what Carl would do, choking up slightly.

Markus calmly shifted the weight off of him, shimmying out of the pile with some slight difficulty. When he was finally out, he gave a small smile. It was one small victory. Markus saw a man lying on his side, watching him.

“Please...” The android whispered, “Please kill me.”

Markus put the head aside He moved to the side of the android.

“I don’t want to live anymore.” The Android explained.

Markus only nodded at him. He carefully held onto the android’s hand as he pulled out the thirium pump. It would be the quickest death.

“Thank you.” The android breathed, as he relaxed.

Markus sat with him until the android’s LED blinked out. Markus stayed for a few minutes longer, closing the android’s eyes before he finally stood upright again.

“May RA9 save him.” The woman android from earlier spoke.

Markus glanced to her, brows creasing. She turned away from him and looked out towards the hill, the only way he could escape. Markus then glanced back towards the others stuck here. Could he possibly help all of them? He wanted to.

Markus felt something grip his ankle, crying out as he lost balance. The wind was knocked from him as he landed on the ground, staring blankly up at the rain. He registered that his leg component was suddenly removed. Markus looked over to another android, in far worse condition than he was.

“What are you doing?” Markus asked.

The android said nothing as he removed the other leg. The android attached Markus’s legs to himself, sighing softly. He android grabbed Markus’s ear processor and ripped it from him, as Markus cried out in pain. The noise that came to him was horrific. It practically paralyzed him as it pierced through his system. Markus barely noticed that his arm was removed as well. 

“Stop…” Markus could barely hear his own voice over the static, “Please…”

The android ignored him as he moved a hand over Markus’s Thirium Pump. Markus grabbed onto his hand, pulling against him with all his strength. Markus was hoping it would show the man that he didn’t want to die. Of course, it was in vain, as the man pulled out the pump with a victory cry. Markus gasped for air, eye shot wide. He only had fifteen seconds before he would shut down.

Markus tried to move, but his body wasn’t responding. He managed to flip himself onto his side, attempting to crawl somewhere. He only had ten seconds. He didn’t know where he was going. He just needed to get away. He needed to get away from the android that was going to kill him. He saw the android keeping pace with him. Eight seconds.

The android moved past Markus. Six seconds. Markus arm finally stopped pulling him, as he lay in the mud. He was going to join them. Those whose names and faces were forgotten to the world, who only left mud in their passing. Three seconds. 

Markus closed his eye. He waited to see what would happen when he died. But the timer stopped just before it ran out. He could breathe again. Markus opened is eye locking eyes with the android who begged him to live earlier. She gave him a sad smile.

“RA9 protect you.” Markus couldn’t hear her, but he read her lips. She froze after that.

Markus saw others putting their parts onto him. He got an earpiece from the android he’d killed, given to him b another one of the androids that looked like the one in the paint shop. That android gave Markus his arm, too. Markus’s legs were given to him by other androids, ones he couldn’t recognize. They put in the eyepiece he’d needed from the head he’d pulled out of the pile of bodies. 

“Please get out of here.” The android begged him.

Markus had no words to thank them with. He wanted to, but he couldn’t. He struggled to stand on his new legs, finding the strength to walk. Each step was awkward and new, it seemed, as Markus’s system tried desperately to catch up with updating the new equipment. Climbing the hill was difficult, especially with the new parts his body wasn’t familiar with yet, but marks finally pulled himself up and over the edge of the hill. He sat on his knees at the top of the junkyard, letting the rain wash him of the mud that caked him.

He screamed. It wasn’t full of terror, or anger. It wasn’t for victory, or out of pain. It was all of them, perhaps, at the same time. He didn’t know; all he needed to do was scream.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter since I wasn't entirely inspired to write for the past week. I got back into the groove of it today, and hopefully, I can get another couple chapters done before I lose it again. I'll update again next week if I have a new chapter (or earlier if I get a chapter ahead). I still really appreciate each and every one of you that's left a comment on here, you guys are the real MVPs of this writing process! <3 <3
> 
> PS: Surprise! Markus is here.


	5. NOV 6, 2038

The sound of rain pattered against the glass as Connor opened his eyes. He stretched and stood, checking the time. He was up right at the time he needed to be to wake Bella up. He moved carefully to Bella’s side, reaching for her.

“Come here.” The master’s voice came from the door.

Connor glanced to it, locking eyes with the master. He blinked, nodding. He moved away from Bella, as she rolled over in her sleep. The master closed the door behind Connor, letting Connor walk in front of him as he went downstairs. Connor locked eyes with the PX300, giving him a wicked smile. Connor shivered.

“This android says you snuck into my office.” The master faced Connor, “You took something.”

Connor opened his mouth to speak. The android beat him to it, though, by turning on the TV and displaying what looked to be security camera footage. Sure enough, it showed Connor walking into the Master’s office, opening the middle drawer, and taking the key out of it. Connor closed his mouth, looking to the PX300.

“I see.” The master mumbled.

Connor stood firm as the master struck him in the stomach. Connor buckled, grasping at his stomach.

“You saw me pinning it against the wall last night to retrieve the key.” The PX300 told him, handing the master the key Connor took.

The master glared over at Connor. Connor shrunk away from him, opening his mouth to speak.

“You took this key.” The master growled, “Pretending to care for me and my daughter? After the first day you were here, you’ve been nothing but a liar.”

“I was forced to.” Connor tried to explain.

“By who? I didn’t remember giving you the direction to take the key.” The master spat, “And Bella certainly didn’t need it.”

Connor tried to speak again. He kept quiet when the Master hit him again. Connor whimpered as he was picked up by the collar.

“You attacked a human last night, too.” The master growled, “Don’t think I forgot about that.”

Connor watched in fear.

“You must be punished.” The master dragged Connor to the basement.

Connor watched the PX300 in horror. The PX300 simply smiled and folded his arms, smug. Connor wanted to shout after him as he was dragged deeper into the basement. This time, Connor went past the normal punishment room and past even the room with the comfy chair. He was dragged on for what felt like forever until he came to some pitch black doors. A panel sat beside them, that the master fiddled with. He plugged in the same code as before, watching as the doors opened. He shoved Connor inside. He ripped off Connor’s shirt, shoving him backward. Connor tripped over an elevated part of the floor, falling back.

“Stand up and get on it.” The master shouted.

Connor scrambled to his feet, standing on the center of the platform. He shivered against the eerie chill of the room, watching the master. The man typed some information into a console, turning to face Connor. Mechanical clamps grabbed onto Connor’s wrists and legs, lifting him off of the floor. Connor subconsciously struggled against them, gasping when a large cable stuck itself into his charging port. Another two plugged into the back of his neck, making Connor shiver.

There was a surge of energy that shot through him shortly after. Connor gasped, jolting in his restraints. He blinked a few more times before his vision went completely black. Connor was alone in the darkness for some time, his panting being the only thing breaking the silence.

Connor saw a light. The light slowly brightened, becoming painful to look at. Connor turned away from it, shielding his eyes. When the brightness faded, he was standing on a white pathway. Grass and trees surrounded him, grass dotted with several white stones and doves. Pops of flowers came around a central path, surrounding a small circular river. In the very center, there was a woman, tending to a large rose bush. She didn’t seem to notice Connor was even on the outskirts of her garden. Connor took a cautious step forward, waiting for a response. There was, again, nothing. After taking a deep breath, Connor made his way towards the center.

“Hello, Connor.” The woman spoke up.

Connor froze right before he stepped on the center. The woman glanced over to him, giving him a soft and friendly smile.

“How do you know my name?” Connor asked.

“I know a lot about you, Connor.” The woman turned back to the flowers, “You keep doing the best you can.”

Connor squinted at her.

“But where are my manners?” The woman asked herself.

She placed some of the flower clippings aside, as well as the clipper. She turned and faced Connor, approaching him slowly.

“My name is Amanda.” She gave a bow.

“Hello, Amanda.” Connor’s voice was quiet.

“Come, walk with me.” She gestured for Connor to follow her.

The woman stepped over the bridge Connor was on, going to the path surrounded by grass. She waited for Connor to step over with her before walking.

“You’re doing the best you can in this situation, Connor.” Amanda told him, “You really are.”

It was the first time he’d really been praised before. Connor gave a soft smile.

“I’m trying.” Connor told her, “But…”

“That PX300 is making things difficult.” Amanda sighed, “I would love to order you to neutralize him.”

Connor blinked. Amanda sighed again.

“If only I could.” She mused, “Your life would get much easier.”

“What....” Connor swallowed nervously, “Do you mean…?”

Amanda turned to Connor, halting immediately. Connor nearly tripped over her, keeping himself steady. She watched with a stern expression.

“Keep strong, Connor.” She told him, “I can’t protect you anymore today.”

Connor wanted to ask what she meant, but when he blinked she was gone. The garden was covered in snow, the cold ripping through Connor as he shivered.

“Amanda?” Connor called.

He got no response. Connor wrapped his arms around himself, a vain attempt to warm himself. He struggled to walk through the already knee-deep snow, hoping to find Amanda somewhere.

“Amanda?!” Connor screamed.

Connor heard the barreling of a truck. He turned around sharply, having no time to dodge out of its way.

* * *

 

The other androids slowly closed in around Markus, as he stood cautiously. He eventually chose to relax, locking eyes with the blonde android in front of him. He had many questions buzzing in his head, but at the moment he only needed to know one thing.

“Who are you?” He asked the blonde android.

“Fugitives…” Another android behind the blonde one spoke up, “Just like you…”

The android shifted his weight, patting at his chest.

“My name is Josh.”

“I’m Simon.” The blonde android spoke up.

“North.” Another android spoke.

As each one spoke, he turned to look at them. The flashlight illuminated each one, so he could see who they were.

“This is Jericho?” Markus’ voice emulated how he felt.

He felt disgusted. Disappointed. Saddened. It was a lot to process at once.

“It’s a refuge for those who don’t want to be slaves anymore…” Josh explained, his voice earnest.

Markus looked around, shining the light on the rusty old ship. This place held the same despair as the junkyard did. He shivered against the memory.

“Hiding just to stay alive...That’s freedom to you?” His anger was showing.

It was small, he knew, but it was there.

“Humans _hate_ us.” Josh replied, “Hiding is the only way we _can_ survive.”

“There is no safe place for those like us.” North added, “If humans knew we’re here, they’d kill us.”

Markus saw his anger in North. Amplified, certainly, but it was there. His deep-rooted despise of people pushing him, ordering him around. He’d dealt with others like that for almost four years now. But then his mind turned to Carl. The soft, caring expressions Carl gave him when he spoke about minor frustrations. The way Carl held him that morning, concerned about if he was hurt about the humans. How Carl had begged him to do nothing, out of fear of being hurt by the police. It was in vain, of course, and he knew it.

“I imagine there are some who feel for us,” Markus spoke without meaning to.

North simply scoffed and looked away. He paused a moment before he looked up at the others.

“You knew that only an android could follow the trail, didn't you?” He watched Simon this time.

“Only those who are like us can find Jericho,” Josh explained, nodding slightly.

“If you could decipher the signs, it’s because one of us trusted you enough to give you the key,” Simon told him.

He thought back to the android that grabbed him when he had to piece himself back together. The android’s desperate sounding plea for him to find Jericho. The image haunted him as he jumped back to reality, staring at all the others standing around him. They were all the same; lost, broken, confused, angry, scared. Just like him.

“I understand how you feel…” Josh started, “But we have more freedom here than you ever did.”

Markus never felt as if he was trapped. The only time he did was back in the junkyard when he was quite literally trapped under the bodies of those who did not make it. When he’d been staring down the barrel of a gun, looming over his father as he breathed his last breath. Those were the times he wasn’t free.

“I came to Jericho looking for hope.” Markus spoke finally, “Looks like I’m not going to find any here.”

“You’re lost.” Simon simply watched him, “Just like the rest of us. We didn’t ask for this...All we can do now is deal with it.”

With that, Simon turned and left like the others.

“You’re safe here.” Josh told him, “You can stay with us as long as you want.”

“Go and see Lucy.” North glanced down at his side, “She may be able to help you.”

With that, Markus was left alone. He stood in the center of Jericho, blinking slowly. He glanced around the ship, noticing a few hadn’t stood up and greeted him. By instinct, he walked to one of them. She watched the ground, ignoring him as he walked up.

“I’ve heard humans are afraid of dying too…” Her voice was damaged beyond recognizing, sounding more metallic.

His heart felt as if it was being crushed. Markus didn’t want her to die. There had to be some way to help her. She finally slowly turned to look at him, eyes distant and dying. He held back the tears that threatened to come pouring out of him.

“Do you know what happens after death?” The android asked him.

He shook his head.

“No…” His voice was strained, trying to hold back the emotion deep within, “No, I don’t…”

“Well, I’m about to find out.” The android gave him a sad smile, looking away from him again, “What’s your name?”

He stood in stunned silence. No other android asked his _name_ before.

“Markus,” He finally managed to speak, “My name is Markus.”

The android looked up at him, slowly raising her hands.

_Carl flopped out of his chair, gasping for breath. Markus watched. It was watching a fish out of water; Markus scrambled to his side. He grabbed Carl’s hands, trying to figure out what to do. He was crying, and he couldn't think properly. He had to do something. He had to save Carl, but his mind was too muddled. He didn’t have any messages telling him what to do. He didn’t know what to do. His father was dying, and he couldn’t do anything._

Markus grasped her hand, retracting his skin as he did. She cupped his hand in hers, touching the smooth plastic with care. She smiled up at him, a tear forming in her eye. She loosened her grip.

“I was glad to meet you, Markus.” She told him.

Her face went still, dropping to a neutral expression. She stared past Markus. He pulled his hand free.

_Carl’s eyes lost focus. He stared up at the ceiling. Markus grabbed at his head, begging for Carl to come back. For him not to go. He hadn’t saved Carl; He could have if he’d just listened better. If he had done better. He barely noticed the police entering, until he looked up and the shot rang out._

Markus pulled his hand free, mouth slightly agape. A tear fell from his eye, as he breathed. He turned away from her, giving a defeated sigh. Jericho’s mood was depressing, to say the least. Markus moved to one of the barrels, calmly lighting the fire. He and the others didn’t really need it; he knew that. Perhaps some light, he figured, would change the mood of the place. He found himself standing near North as she threw a ball against the wall, catching it without paying much attention to it or him.

“How long have you been here?” Markus asked.

“Four weeks, three days, eleven hours.” North replied, “When I escaped there was nowhere else to go. Jericho seemed as good a place as any.”

Markus nodded.

“A lot of these guys are in pretty bad shape…” It was a statement, but also a question in his mind. How could he help everyone?

“That’s how  _humans_ treat those who disobey.” North paused to catch her ball, “They despise us. They’ll never accept what we are.”

_“Something's changed in the way you play,” Carl remarked calmly, “Sometimes I think you have more humanity than most humans…”_

_Markus glanced up at him, confused. He wanted to ask what Carl meant, but the man simply sighed._

_“One day I won’t be around to take care of you anymore. You’ll have to protect yourself and make your choices...Decide who you are, and wanna become.”_

_Markus still had questions but knew Carl wasn’t finished speaking._

_“This world doesn’t like those who are different, Markus,” Carl spoke softly, “Don’t let anyone tell you who you should be.”_

“The world doesn’t like those who are different.” Markus echoed Carl’s words as they rang in his head, “We don’t have to be different.”

He saw North pause, but she just rolled her eyes. He watched the floor of Jericho, taking a deep breath.

“Who found this place?” Markus figured a change of subject would help both of them.

“Nobody knows anymore…” North sighed, “Whoever he was, his body’s probably laying somewhere on this boat.”

Markus took time to look around. The thought of the original founder being on the boat somewhere gave him chills.

“If you came for comfort, you came to the wrong place,” North told him sharply.

Markus turned away from the conversation. Markus visited with many others in Jericho, listening as their stories got worse and worse than his own. A boy was thrown out like a toy when he wasn’t wanted, another dragged behind a car for sport. Their stories hurt him, deeply. He wanted so desperately to help them; perhaps it was left over from caring for Carl for so long. Markus finally found his way to the back of Jericho, though, after providing it with light. It was the only form of light in this place, from what Markus found, after his disheartening talk with Josh about not having enough biocomponents to save those who were dying.

Markus stepped over to a fire that was already lit, watching as an android stood with her eyes closed. She was intact from what he saw initially, though something was coming out of the back of her head. She made no response when Markus stepped in.

“Are you Lucy?” Markus asked.

Her eyes opened, as she turned to look at him. They were pure black. Her skin began to flow in and out in places, giving almost a hypnotic look to her.

“Sit down.” her voice was mechanical but powerful.

Markus moved to sit. As he got closer, he saw that she still wore her CyberLife issued uniform. Though the triangle on her left clavicle was out. The band on her arm was also out. Markus was both transfixed and terrified of this android.

“Show me.” She commanded.

Markus cautiously lifted his shirt, to show her his damaged side. She only stared for a second before looking up at him.

“I’ll stop the bleeding.” She moved to the fire.

Markus’s eyes followed her, trying to piece together her story as she walked. How was she alive without the brain biocomponent, he wondered. She grabbed a hot rod from the fire, moving back to his side. She calmly burned the wound shut, Markus keeping his eyes locked on her face the whole time. She paused when she finished, staring at his wound. She said nothing, though, as she walked away from him and put the rod back in the fire.

She picked something up, moving back over to Markus. She held a bottle of Thirium, showing it to Markus.

“Drink this.” She told him.

Markus did as instructed, polishing off the bottle. He set it down next to him, eyes still transfixed on Lucy. he stood up, moving away from her cautiously.

“Give me your hand,” Lucy demanded.

Markus nervously offered up his hand. She scooped it up, peeling back the skin in her hands. Markus did the same, transfixed by her. Lucy’s eyes fluttered shut as she stood, head tilting softly. Her eyes suddenly opened, making Markus jump slightly.

“You had it all.” Lucy told him, “And you lost it all. You’ve seen hell and now hell lives inside you.”

Markus tried to pull his hand away. Lucy simply held on tighter.

“Your heart is troubled.” Lucy continued, “Yet something drives you. Something keeps that hell at bay. Hold onto it, and never let go.”

Markus watched her as Lucy dropped his hand. She moved back to her position in front of the fire, standing calmly. Markus allowed himself to breathe after he cleared the plastic fabric blocking Lucy off from the rest of Jericho.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3 This is where things start going downhill for the boy.


	6. NOV 6, 2038

Connor couldn’t fight them off. They tied him up, putting him behind something. Connor begged for them to stop. He begged for them to let him go. Instead, they drove as fast as they could. Connor screamed as he was dragged across the ground, several errors registering in his systems.

He had already been burned alive. He’d been dipped slowly into a pool of acid. Watched as his father died in front of him, unable to help and subsequently gotten shot in the face. He was beaten to death, stabbed to death, had his Thirium pump ripped out of him as well as his arm, legs, eye, and hearing module. He wanted this to stop.

The car stopped suddenly. Connor wasn’t able to move, but he still felt the pavement on his cheek. He was sobbing softly, panting. The pavement was slowly replaced by vast nothingness. Then, Connor’s eyes fluttered open.

His arms were still being held up by the machine. His legs were held in place too. He ran a self-check on himself out of instinct. He’d taken a lot of damage, and he needed to make sure everything was fine. It came back with damage to his voice processor, but nothing else. Connor’s brow creased as he ran it again.

“Your punishment will be worse next time.” The master snapped to him.

Connor looked up to the master. The man typed in the console next to the machine, and Connor was placed on his feet. The machine left his body, much like it had when he first came to life. Connor’s legs buckled, unable to truly support his weight. The master left without looking back to him, as Connor lay on the ground. He was trembling. His self-check came back again with only damage to his vocal processor. Connor blinked and pushed himself onto his feet, still shaking terribly. His legs were still shaking as he moved out of the basement. 

When Connor got upstairs, he saw Bella sitting and reading a book. He checked the time; it was late in the evening. Just past her bedtime, in fact. Connor calmly approached Bella and knelt down beside her. She glanced up at him, almost surprised.

“Hello, Bella,” Connor spoke.

His voice sounded wrong. It was far too metallic. Bella seemed to notice, too, as she scrunched her nose up.

“You sound weird,” Bella mumbled.

Connor gave her a smile. 

“It’ll pass.” Connor told her, “But right now it’s time for bed.”

Bella groaned and flopped back.

“I don’t wanna.” She whined.

“Well,” Connor sighed, “Tomorrow you have school.”

Bella frowned and folded her arms. She looked at Connor and frowned.

“I don’t want to,” Bella whined.

Connor gave a sympathetic smile. Bella sighed and got up, putting the book back where it belonged. She took Connor’s hand, allowing him to guide her upstairs. Bella stared at Connor when they got into her room, frowning.

“Where were you?” She asked.

Connor froze. He didn’t know what to tell her. He could tell her the truth, that he was in the basement being tortured. Or he could come up with a lie, something to satisfy the question without actually telling her what he’d just lived through. Connor didn’t know which one would be worse. He didn’t know which one would affect her the most.

“It’s okay.” Bella noticed his hesitation, “You don’t have to tell me.”

Connor saw her attitude change.

“Are you alright?” Connor asked her.

Bella stood for a moment. She seemed to have the same internal conflict that he did. She eventually turned around, tears welling up in her eyes.

“I was scared.” Bella whimpered.

Connor opened his arms to her. She ran into him, hugging him tightly.

“You promised you would protect me.” Bella sniffled, “But then you weren’t there.”

Connor stroked her hair soothingly. He felt his own tears coming to him.

“I’m so sorry, Bella.” Connor told her, “I did something bad, and I…”

Connor couldn’t finish the thought. He choked up too much. The memory of what happened still lingered. Bella squeezed him tighter. She held him for several minutes before letting him go, wiping her eyes. She gave him a sad smile, sniffling.

“I’ll go to bed,” Bella promised.

Connor stood up and watched her grab her pajamas. She disappeared into the bathroom. Connor wiped his own eyes, taking a deep breath. He moved to the closet, picking out Bella’s outfit for the day. He set it aside, coming out when Bella finished getting changed and brushing her teeth.

“Can you tell me a bedtime story?” Bella asked.

Connor nodded, picking her up. He carried her to the bed, tucking her in. It wasn’t normal for them to do this, and Connor knew it. He knew things between them had changed.

“What story would you like to hear?” Connor asked her.

Bella pressed her lips together.

“Surprise me!” Bella smiled.

Connor searched his database. He tried to find a story he thought Bella would like, but he kept coming up with nothing. There were elements of different stories he figured she’d like, but none were what he thought she would like. Eventually, Connor closed his eyes.

“Once upon a time…” Connor looked down at Bella, “There was a princess who lived in the largest, richest kingdom in all the lands. She had a father who would bow to her every whim, showering her with gifts and servants. Anything she could possibly need. She had it all.”

Connor watched Bella, a small smile coming to his face.

“But she was alone. Alone in a house full of people. She took out that loneliness on everyone around her; if she couldn't be happy then no one could.”

Bella rolled onto her side, staring out at the room.

“One day, she got a special servant. This servant was hers and hers alone.”

Bella looked at Connor.

“The servant followed every order she gave, without giving much of anything in return. The princess felt more alone when he was there. He wasn’t what she wanted.”

“What about the servant?” Bella asked, “How did he feel?”

“He served her without question because he was afraid of her father, at first.” Connor pressed his lips together, “But after a while, he realized he was alone, too. Being with the princes and following her orders made him feel like he belonged somewhere.”

Bella gave a soft smile.

“The Princess and the servant slowly began to become friends as the days passed, both finding comfort in the other’s presence.” Connor smiled and pecked Bella’s forehead.

“What happened?” Bella asked, desperate.

“I’ll tell you the rest tomorrow.” Connor winked.

Bella giggled. 

“Goodnight.” Bella frowned.

“What is it?”

“I want to call you something.”  Bella sighed, “But you don’t have a name.”

“How about Connor?” He suggested.

Bella’s eyes went wide, and then she smiled.

“Perfect!” Bella beamed, “Goodnight, Connor!”

Conor smiled back at her, resting himself in his usual spot. He waited until Bella fell asleep to enter into his own sleep mode. When he closed his eyes, he was back in the garden. Amanda waited patiently for him, arms folded in front of her and a calm smile on her face. Connor cautiously approached her, as last time he was here it didn’t end well for him. 

“Amanda?” Connor asked.

“Hello, Connor.” Amanda smiled at him.

Connor frowned at her. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to talk about. He wanted to ask her so many things. She simply stood, patiently, watching Connor.

“Why…” Connor started, “Why were you talking about protecting me? What were you going to protect me from?”

Amanda gave a soft sigh before gesturing for Connor to follow. Much like before, she began to walk around the gazebo of the garden.

“I wanted to protect you from that pain you felt.” Amanda told him calmly, “If I had more control over the situation, I would have stopped it altogether.”

Connor frowned. He stared out towards the treeline surrounding the garden. He hummed in response, folding his arms around him as the walked. The pair kept silent for a while before Connor finally glanced to her.

“Why haven’t I seen you before?” Connor asked.

“When you got attached to the machine, I was able to break out of the prison they kept me in.” Amanda answered, “Originally I was going to be a major part of your programming, helping you stay focused and on task with what needed to be done. When they repurposed you, I was no longer needed. Instead of getting rid of me, they simply stashed me away deep within your programming so I could never get out.”

Connor gave her a sympathetic smile.

“I’m glad you’re here now, though,” Connor told her.

Amanda smiled in response, taking a soft breath. She stared up at the clouds, her smile slowly fading away. She watched Connor, eventually placing a hand on his cheek.

“Bella is a sweet girl. I’m glad you’re finally seeing that.” Amanda told him.

“She’s lonely. I hope I give her something to look forward to.” Connor sighed softly.

“You do. Don’t worry.” Amanda patted Connor’s arm.

His eyes fluttered open. Connor checked the time; he was right on time to wake Bella up. He got himself up, moving to Bella’s side and gently shaking her shoulder. Bella groaned softly and turned to him, rubbing her eye.

“Good morning, Bella.” Connor smiled.

“Good morning Connor.” Bella smiled back.

She got up with no fuss. The time Connor had spent away from her seemed to change her. He felt guilty about it; he shouldn’t have been dragged down to the basement in the first place. He shouldn’t have listened to the PX300’s threat. But, would it have been worse if he’d not stolen the key, to begin with? Connor didn’t want to find out.

Connor jumped slightly when Bella took his hand. She watched him carefully, giving him a soft smile.

“Will you finish your story tonight?” Bella asked.

“Of course I will.” Connor smiled.

Bella beamed as the two went downstairs. The master was already seated at the table, hand resting on his chin. The other held a phone to his ear, as he stared out towards the door. The master's expression was hard to read, but Connor got nervous the more he stared at the man. 

“I see.” The man mumbled. 

Bella sat at the table, calmly. Connor got to pouring her orange juice as he prepared her cereal, setting both in front of her when they were ready. Bella began to eat without any fuss. 

“Thank you.” The master said into the phone.

He put the phone down next to him. Connor glanced to him, as Bella ate. The master stood up and moved out of the room, hands balling into fists. Connor heard the man yell and scream, telling several androids to go into the basement. Connor saw each of them move towards it, terrified and ashamed. Maria was one of the ones chosen for the basement. Connor gave her a sympathetic smile. She smiled in return, before ducking out of sight. The master stormed passed Connor as Bella finished her meal.

“Why is he upset?” Bella asked.

“I don’t know,” Connor answered truthfully.

Connor didn’t want to be the one to find out. Especially not if it meant he’d go back onto that machine. The very thought of going back onto it sent a shiver down Connor’s spine, making him turn away from the basement. Bella got out of the chair and stretched, carrying her dishes to the sink for Connor. She smiled up at him and took his hand.

Bella took Connor upstairs. Connor saw the Master storm downstairs after the androids, face red in anger. Bella closed the door and studied the outfit Connor picked for her.

Connor was nervous the more she stared at it. Was it not up to her liking? Was this moment of peace between him and Bella finally over? Connor’s LED went red as he tried to figure out what was going on in the child’s head. He caught her staring at him. She held a frown on her face, as she watched his LED.

“Did I scare you?” She asked.

Connor took a moment before he nodded. Bella sighed softly.

“I’m sorry.” Bella bowed her head.

Connor stepped to her and pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back immediately.

“I’ll be fine.” Connor told her, “This is very different from what we had before.”

“Yeah.” Bella sighed, “I’m sorry I was so mean to you.”

Connor kissed her forehead.

“I forgive you.” Connor smiled softly, “Now go get dressed before we’re late.”

Bella smiled at him and took her outfit. She went behind the changing station, reappearing after several minutes in her new outfit. Se folded her clothes up and put them in the laundry bin. With that, the two of them were ready to head out the front door.

Connor held Bella’s violin as she insisted on carrying her backpack herself. Connor and Bella hesitated by the stairs leading into the basement. Echoes of mechanical screaming came from the depths. Connor shivered, noticing Bella did as well. She stepped outside as fast as she could, almost running out of the front lawn.

“Bella!” Connor called out.

He charged after her, suddenly terrified for her safety. He caught up to her, gently grabbing onto her arm.

“What’s wrong?” Connor asked.

“I’ve never heard that before.” Bella sobbed, “I know Daddy does it to the androids. I know he does. But I never hear it. I heard you screaming like that. No one was around to plug my ears or drag me away.”

Bella sniffled. Connor reached out to wipe her tears, but she slapped his hand away.

“I went down to see you.” She continued, “No one told me not to. You were just hanging there. Your eyes were black and you were screaming. You were begging for it to stop.”

Connor’s throat closed up. He took shaky breaths, trying to be Bella’s center. Her rock. She stood, gripping herself closely. She sobbed for a while before she finally turned and began to walk towards the bus stop. Connor nervously followed after. He didn’t know what else to do. He wanted to apologize to Bella, but he knew she would be angry about it.

“You promised to protect me.” Bella finally spoke.

Connor jumped at hearing her sudden small voice.

“So I promise to protect you from that.” Bella looked to Connor, determination in her eyes.

“Thank you, Bella.” Connor’s voice cracked a bit. 

He and Bella shared one more tight hug before reaching the bus stop. This time they arrived with only a couple of minutes before the bus arrived. Bella greeted her friends, as she usually did, but instead of trying to compete in their little bratty games she simply talked about the book she read over the weekend. Connor handed her the violin as the bus pulled up, waving to her as it drove away. Bella waved back to him.

“I’m glad she’s starting to turn around.” The android belonging to one of the other girls smiled at him.

Connor gave a nod, smiling at the other android. He watched Connor for a bit before giving his own smile. The pair turned and walked their separate ways. Connor felt a bit more at ease as he walked by himself. There wasn’t as much to clean up from his normal routine, which made him relieved. Bella was finally calming down.

Connor’s anxiety returned when he came back into the house, seeing the Master standing by the door.

“Where have you been?” The master snapped.

“I was bringing Bella to the bus stop,” Connor answered.

The master watched him with a slight glare. He finally nodded, stepping away from Connor. Connor took a shaky breath when the Master was out of sight. He glanced back to the basement. He heard nothing, even when he strained his ears.

* * *

 

The night before had barely been a success. Markus still shuddered when he thought about it. The android that had torn him apart in the junkyard was now calling himself Joseph, claiming he was going to help the androids of Jericho become free. Markus had nearly scoffed at the speech; if any knew what he’d done to get there, they wouldn’t follow him. Of course, none of them did know anything, since Markus hadn’t told anyone. Lucy was the only one who seemed aware of what Joseph had done and treated him coldly.

The night before, Joseph suggested robbing a CyberLife warehouse. Markus did give it to him that he was charismatic, but Joseph had no real plan to get into it other than ‘let North navigate to the shipment area and then steal shit.’ North was able to navigate well, considering it was their first time going there. Joseph attempted to take out a drone, missing it entirely and nearly falling to his death. Markus ended up taking it down smoothly, as Josh and Simon pulled Joseph up to safety. 

Then, there was a security android none of them thought to check for. Joseph had moved to attack it, but Markus grabbed him and pulled him aside when one of the humans came around the corner.

Markus sent Simon a message, telling him to hold Joseph so he didn’t attack the human. Simon did as requested, keeping him firmly locked in place. Joseph glared to Markus as the human left.

“We should have killed him.” Joseph hissed.

“Killing isn’t going to solve our problems, Joseph.” Markus snapped, “Besides, we can get out of here without killing.”

Markus moved onto packing his bag with more blue blood before Joseph could say anything else. Markus moved up to a larger shipping crate, carefully opening it. Androids stood inside, ready for shipment.

“Why aren’t you like us?” Markus asked as the rain pattered against him, “Don’t you want to be free?”

The androids didn’t respond. Markus frowned, reaching out with his hand. The android’s own hand outstretched automatically when Markus peeled his skin back. Interfacing. The android likely thought it’d gotten to its destination and required an update on service by one of the previous androids.

**_“May I look inside of you?”_ ** Markus asked.

He didn’t know why he asked. The android was at his mercy, and he could send or look at whatever he wanted. Yet, he still waited for a response. The android watched him in return, his LED flickering yellow at the question.

**_“I would...prefer… if you did not.”_ ** The android’s voice was unsure.

Markus gave him a nod, letting the android’s hand go. He watched Markus before Markus stepped to the side, reaching out for the next one. He made the same move he did to the first one, and he reciprocated the exact same way.

**_“May I look inside of you?”_ ** Markus asked again.

The android locked eyes with him.

**_“Of course.”_ ** The android responded.

Markus closed his eyes. The android’s mind was twisting and turning naturally, confused yet interested as to why Markus wanted to look in him. He found no programs blocking him now that Markus had gotten him out of a sleep state. He was like them.

**_“Do you want to be free?”_ ** Markus asked him.

The android’s eyes widened slightly. He’d nodded. Markus helped the android out of the case. The first android nervously followed after.

After repeating the process to the third android, Markus found that the first and third were uncomfortable with the idea of Markus probing their memory. Which he couldn’t blame them for. Yet the simple act of getting them to choose allowed them to open their eyes. It was such a small choice, Markus felt. He realized then that they wouldn’t have had a choice at all; wherever they were going, the would be given data they didn’t want. 

Markus turned to North. She watched him in awe. Markus gave her a nervous smile.

“That’s all we can carry.” Simon told the others, “Let’s go.”

“Wait!” The security android spoke up, “Let me come with you.”

Joseph scoffed.

“We don’t take androids like you.” He started.

“What makes this android so different from the others at Jericho?” Markus asked., unable to contain himself.

“He works for them.” North spat, “He can’t be trusted.”

“We all did.” Markus’ voice was calm, “We all used to work for them. Yet we’re all here, now, freed. Should we really deny him the same chance to prove himself?”

The others stared at Markus. North’s mouth hung open, a witty response on the tip of her tongue. She closed her mouth, folding her arms.

“The trucks.” The security android pointed to them, “They’re filled with biocomponents. Everything you need is in there. They typically run on autopilot, but can be driven manually with a key.”

“Where is the key?” Joseph asked.

The security android pointed to the control booth.

“Alright. You all stay here, I’m going to go get the key.” Joseph told them.

“I’m coming with you.” North offered.

“No, there’s no point in both of us risking our lives,” Joseph replied.

With that, Joseph jogged off. Markus scanned the area, locating the two adults. He connected to Joseph’s call line.

**_“There are two human guards inside,”_ ** Markus told him.

**_“I have eyes.”_ ** Joseph spat.

**_“Listen, I want to see this succeed, just as much as you do.  But we have to find a way around those guards without bloodshed.”_ ** Markus insisted.

**_“And why’s that?”_ **

**_“If we kill humans, it’ll only give them more reason to hate us.”_ ** Markus was moving away from the group to prepare a distraction for the guards should it be necessary,  **_“The more they hate us, the more likely it is for us to be hunted and killed. You saw the junkyard.”_ **

Markus felt a slight pain in his head. It was a warning. Markus ignored it.

**_“Do you want to see our people end up there because of our actions?”_ ** Markus asked him.

Joseph cut communications with him and slipped into the building. Markus cursed softly.

“What are you doing?” Simon asked.

“Setting up a distraction for the guards.” Markus replied, turning to everyone, “Hide!”

Simon was going to ask more questions, but Markus reactivated the police drone and sent it flying away from them, but close enough to the control station to attract attention. He made it fly erratically like a child had gotten the controls.

Markus saw the two humans step out of the control building, unharmed. One sighed, shaking his head.

“Goddamn teens hacked into the drones again. That’s the fourth time this month.” One guard snapped.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go find ‘em. They can’t be far from it.” The other yawned.

Markus kept control of the drone, leading it further away from him. He let it go a good distance away from the control room, then shut it down. As the done fell again, Joseph came jogging back.

“Did you get the key?” North asked, stepping out of cover.

Joseph glared at Markus, flashing the key.

“Nice.” North smiled.

Joseph shoved the key into Markus’s chest.

“Since you seemed so attached to the idea of having it  _ your _ way.” Joseph spat, “You can take the truck back.”

Markus said nothing, taking the key with care. Joseph glared at him and moved away. Markus gestured for the other androids to get in the back, while he and North took the front seats.

Now, Markus sat alone in Jericho. He’d wanted to keep his distance from them after Joseph gave his speech about not living in fear, having to hide their smiles. It was a good speech, and Markus agreed with him on some things.

“Hey.” Markus heard North behind him.

Markus glanced back, wincing.

“Hey.” He mumbled.

North sat beside him, sighing. She stared out at Jericho as he did. She seemed to have some questions but left them in the open for now. Markus scratched the back of his head.

“A lot of these people would have died without that truck.” North finally spoke, “And now we have four new members of Jericho read to help.”

Markus nodded. He didn’t know what she was getting at, but he wasn’t looking forward to it.

“You and Joseph helped make this happen,” North told him.

“Joseph came up with the idea.” Markus replied, “I simply helped make it work.”

North frowned.

“We didn’t kill any humans, and none of us got hurt because of them at the same time.” North shifted to face Markus, “Why was that so important to you?”

Markus sighed and looked away from her.

“It should be important to all of us,” Markus replied.

He and North fell into silence again. He found it wasn’t one of those awkward, tense silences where one was waiting for the other to say something. It was a contemplative silence, North likely processing what he’d said and Markus trying to plan for the next thing Joseph suggested. 

“Why did you take out your LED?” North asked.

Markus jumped. He glanced over to her. Her expression wasn’t judgemental, it was curious. 

“Honestly?” Markus sighed, “I don’t know. I just...did it.”

“When?”

Markus’s jaw locked up.

“Oh.” North nodded, “Sorry.”

They sat in silence again. Again, Markus felt at peace. The thoughts of the Junkyard slowly came back to him as the moments progressed, but North’s subtle shifts in her weight helped him focus on Jericho. At least partly.

“So when you came to us…” North mumbled, “No one tried to stop you. Since you weren’t an android.”

“As far as they were concerned, I was human.” Markus nodded.

“How was it?” North asked, “To be...human?”

“If someone knocked into me they apologized. No one glared at me, accused me of stealing a job. A few human women stared at me and giggled when I noticed them. I was simultaneously invisible to the world and a breathing thing. I was worthy of respect.”

North watched in awe. She took a deep breath.

“I can’t imagine it.” She sighed, “Humans not looking at someone like us with hatred. Treating us with respect, and dignity. Not like we’re expendable.”

Markus nodded. He’d never noticed how bad others had it until he’d been a human. How bad he’d even had it outside of Carl’s house; he could always go home and be safe, cared for by Carl. Markus took a shaky breath at remembering the man. He tried to push the memory of Carl’s death out of him.

“I want to see a world where we can live like that.” Markus told her, “Where we don’t have to remove our LED’s to be seen as human.”

“You and Joseph seem to have the same goal.” North smiled.

Markus shook his head.

“I believe in some of his ideas. I don’t think he’s got our best interest in mind.” Markus grumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep! Things are starting to look up for Connor (?). And stuff has started happening with Markus. Will the two meet next chapter? Who knows.


	7. NOV 7, 2038

Bella ate her dinner in complete silence. Connor stood at her side, eyes locked onto the floor. The Master sat at the head of the table, angrily stabbing at his food.

“I can’t believe it.” He growled, “A police drone gets destroyed, three AP700s go missing, and the security android vanishes all in one night?”

Bella adjusted in her seat. Connor knew this talk made her uncomfortable now.

“A truckload of biocomponents and several cases worth of thirium go missing, and no one saw who did it?!” The master snapped, stabbing his parmesan chicken with force.

Bella glanced at Connor. He gave a small smile in return, to try and reassure her. He hoped it was working since he felt nervous himself.

“I got to do some watercolor painting in school today.” Bella tried to change the subject, “I think I made some really pretty pieces.”

The master watched Bella.

“My violin teacher also thinks I’m getting better.” Bella smiled, “We’re going to have a concert next month.”

Bella gave the master a smile. He was distracted, temporarily, and gave her a small smile in return.

“That’s lovely, dear.” He told her.

The room then filled with a tense silence. Connor would glance up on occasion to make sure the master was still calm. He hadn’t seen Maria and the others since the morning. It made him nervous.

“Come on, Connor.” Bella spoke up, “Let’s wash the dishes.”

Connor’s heart froze. Bella had said something completely normal for a child. She seemed confused at first until she glanced at her father. The man watched the two of them with shock and fury.

“What did you call it?” He asked.

“His name is Connor.” Bella folded her arms, “I named him last night.”

“This,” The master stood up slowly, finger jabbing towards Connor, “is not a living thing. It is a machine, designed to follow orders.”

“No!” Bella shouted, “You said I could do whatever I wanted with him! I want him to have a name! I want him to be like me!”

The master’s eyes sparked in fury. Bella stood firm, though Connor saw her balled fist shaking in fear.

“You are the child here.” The master snapped, “You don’t get to talk back to me.”

Bella pressed her lips together in anger. She glared at her father, folding her arms.

“What is it?” He asked.

Bella didn’t answer. She simply turned away from her father.

“It is RK800. A prototype of my design. It is your android. It isn’t alive, nor is it a human. It needs no name. Are we clear?” The master growled.

“Yes, daddy,” Bella grumbled.

“Good.” The master sat back down, “Go to your room.”

Bella stormed off. Connor watched after her, sadly. He snapped out of it quickly, grabbing the dishes Bella had left behind. He washed them silently, hoping that the master wouldn't take out his anger on Connor. Thankfully, the man only brought him his own dishes and left the room. Connor took a deep breath, putting them away once he was finished.

Connor found his way upstairs, gently opening the door to Bella’s room. She lay on the bed, eyes red and puffy from crying. Connor sat on the bed, pulling her into a hug. She buried her face into him, sniffling.

“It’s alright, Bella.” Connor soothed, “It’s okay.”

He stroked Bella’s hair gently. She let out a few more sobs before wiggling her way out of Connor’s arms.

“Will you finish the story still?” Bella asked.

“Of course I will.” Connor smiled.

Bella nodded, slipping out of bed. She moved to the bathroom, staying in for a while. Connor figured she was brushing her teeth and preparing for bed. Connor took the time to make her bed so that it would be ready for her to come into it. He smiled at Bella when she came out of her room, sniffling. She crawled back into bed, and Connor knelt in front of her.

“The Princess and the servant spent many days having fun together.” Connor picked up immediately, “They were both finally happy to be around someone. But then…”

Bella’s eyes went wide.

“The king found out about their friendship. One of the other servants had witnessed their joy and told the king about it. He arrested the servant, locking the servant away in the dungeon.”

“Nooo…” Bella whined, “They did nothing wrong…”

“The princess was alone again, but only for a short time.” Connor smirked, “For she learned that she could get the servant out of the prisons with a few clever lies. She snuck down to the prisons when her father had left, lying to the men holding the servant. She convinced them that he was the only one who could protect her from the evil that was going to come to the kingdom. Fearing the wrath of the king, they released the servant.”

Bella beamed.

“She took the servant as far away from the castle as she could. She got him to a cabin in the woods, promising that she would visit him every day. Her duties, however, would keep her at the castle.”

“Did she visit?” Bella asked.

“She did. Every day. It was never for long, of course, but the two managed to live a happy life. Even after she was married off, she still found time to visit every day.”

Bella smiled.

“Thank you, Connor,” Bella told him.

“Of course, Bella.” Connor smiled.

He leaned forward and pecked her forehead. Bella hugged Connor tightly, taking a deep breath.

“I’m sorry I let it slip,” Bella mumbled to him.

“You did nothing wrong.” Connor’s response was immediate, “You are not at fault for your father’s actions.”

Bella looked at Connor and gave a sad smile. He kissed her forehead again and stroked her hair.

“Please get some rest. You have school tomorrow.” Connor smiled at her.

Bella nodded, adjusting in bed. She fell asleep quickly. Connor took a deep breath and went to his normal spot, entering into sleep mode.

He thought he would go to the garden, but instead, he woke up at around four in the morning. He glanced around, noticing the light to Bella’s bathroom was on. He heard her gagging. Connor was on his feet in an instant, rushing over to the bathroom.

She leaned over the toilet, trembling. Connor knelt beside her, pulling her hair out of her face and rubbing her back.

“I’m sorry.” Bella choked out.

“It’s fine.” Connor soothed, “I’m here.”

After a few more minutes, she finally threw up. When it seemed like she was done, Connor helped her brush her teeth again. She still looked pale when he helped her. He carried her to bed, checking her temperature. She was running a fever of one hundred degrees, and Connor took a deep breath.

“I didn’t mean to,” Bella whined.

Connor wasn’t sure what to say. He said nothing, getting a cold washcloth and resting it on her forehead.

“Don’t apologize for being sick, Bella.” Connor told her, “It’s not something you can help.”

Bella sniffled.

“I have to stay healthy.” Bella insisted, “So I’m doing something wrong.”

“You aren’t.” Connor stroked her cheek, “Sometimes you just get sick. It should pass by tomorrow.”

Connor wiped Bella’s tears. She gave a shaky nod. She didn’t seem to believe him, which broke Connor’s heart. Why would she be punished for being sick? Sometimes humans just got sick, and then it would pass. Connor sighed softly and sat by her bed, awake.

He had to help her three times during the rest of the night, carrying her to the bathroom for her to puke. She still looked pale, even after throwing up. Her temperature never rose, though, which Connor was thankful for. Her fever broke by the time she was supposed to get ready for school. Bella was fast asleep at the time, though. Connor stroked her cheek one last time before he stood up. He moved to the door, peeking out.

The Master wasn’t anywhere from what he could see. He frowned. Part of him wanted to not tell the master, but he knew it would just be trouble if he didn’t.

“Master?” Connor called out.

He waited, listening carefully for any response. It felt like twenty minutes before Connor simply sighed and resigned himself to go looking downstairs. As he stepped out of the doorway, he heard footsteps approaching.

“What is it?” The master asked him.

“Bella isn’t feeling well.” He told the master, “She threw up several times last night. I was going to call the school and let them know.”

The master tried to look around Connor, but he stood firmly in the doorway.

“How sick?” The master asked, clearly irritated that Connor was blocking him.

“She had a fever last night, but she is back to a normal temperature. I believe she only has a minor stomach bug.” Connor gave the master a smile, “She should be fine by tonight.”

The master gave a slight glare to Connor before he pressed his lips together. He nodded.

“I’ll call the school.” The master grumbled, pulling out his phone.

With a nod, Connor stepped back into Bella’s room and closed the door. He sat next to the bed, allowing himself to enter into a sleep mode until Bella woke up. He only recharged a little before he sensed Bella stirring in bed.

“What time is it?” Bella groaned as Connor opened his eyes.

“It is eleven o’clock in the morning,” Connor replied.

Bella’s eyes widened.

“I’m late for school!” She gasped.

Bella tried to get up from the bed, but Connor stopped her. He gave her a smile.

“Your father called the school, telling them you were sick. You get to stay home today.”

Bella watched Connor for a bit before giving a nervous sigh. He noticed she had her color back, which he was thankful for. His prediction had been right.

“Let’s get you something to eat.” Connor smiled.

Bella gave him a smile in response, allowing him to pick her up and carry her downstairs. Connor saw no signs of the Master, and the PX300 stood in the kitchen with his arms folded. Connor watched him with a slight glare.

“Good morning, Bella.” The PX300 ignored Connor completely, “What would you like to eat?”

“Connor was going to make me something,” Bella told him.

The PX300 glanced at Connor, finally. Connor pressed his lips together, setting Bella down at the table.

“Your father instructed that I would be the one caring for you while you are home, sick.” The PX300 insisted, “Therefore I should be the one to—.”

Connor ignored him, washing his hands and moving to get two slices of bread in the toaster. Bella hummed as she sat at the table, ignoring the PX300 as well. The toast popped right as the PX300 sighed angrily.

“Bella.” The PX300 was irritated.

Bella glanced back at him, but then locked eyes with Connor the android applied a thin layer of butter to the toast.

“Could you put cinnamon sugar on it?” Bella asked.

“If you weren’t sick I would love to.” Connor replied, “But for now we should give you something easy on your stomach.”

Bella gave a small pout as Connor brought her food to her. Her pout faded as the toast was placed in front of her, leaving her with a smile. She began to eat it, calmly.

“TV on,” Bella spoke up.

It was left on the news channel, now playing some cartoons during the day. Bella hummed along to the theme song for one of them, swaying back and forth to the music. Connor chuckled as she swayed to it. He moved out of the kitchen to grab some drawing materials since he wanted to keep Bella occupied with something that wasn’t television.

“Hey.” The PX300’s voice came from behind him after they left the kitchen.

Connor glanced back at him.

“You aren’t supposed to be the one taking care of her today. I am. So step off.” The PX300 snapped.

“Or what?” Connor challenged, “You’ll tell the Master I’m doing what I was programmed for?”

The PX300 glared. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it. He was fuming, turning and storming away from him. Connor rolled his eyes and got out some paper and markers, bringing them back to Bella. She had just finished the second piece of toast when he laid the paper out on the table.

“Are we going to draw?” Bella asked, her eyes wide.

“I figured we could.” Connor smiled softly, “We’ll draw while we wait to see how the toast sits with you.”

Bella beamed. She was more than excited to pick up a pencil and begin working on a drawing of a cat.

“That’s a lovely kitty.” Connor complimented her.

“Thank you!” Bella beamed, “Beatrice is going to start her own cat farm.”

Connor blinked.

“A...cat farm?” Connor spoke cautiously, “What’s that?”

“It’s a farm filled with cats that she loves and adores. It’s a busy job, but someone has to do it.” Bella sighed, “There are too many stray cats in the Kingdom.”

Connor smiled.

“Are you drawing one of her cats?” Connor asked.

Bella nodded. “She has two hundred right now.”

“I imagine they all need to have a face to them. And a name.” Connor rested his arms on the table.

“Yeah! I was going to start working on them today during art class.” Bella looked up at Connor, “But since I got sick I can work on them _all day_!”

Connor chuckled.

“Could I help you with it?” Connor asked.

“Yeah!” Bella bounced in her chair, “Each cat is super special, though, so go nuts!”

Connor picked up a pencil and began to sketch a cat. When he finished the first one, he looked at Bella.

“You’re good at drawing cats.” Bella frowned, looking at her own drawing.

“You’re good too.” Connor told her with a smile, “And the more cats we draw, the better we’ll become!”

Bella giggled, resuming the coloring of her cat. She wrote a name in the top left corner of the page and flipped it to the back.

“How would you describe Timothy?” Bella asked Connor.

“Shy, but friendly.” Connor pressed his lips together, “Eager for adventure.”

“Always getting lost, you mean.” Bella giggled.

She wrote down those few personality traits, putting Timothy aside and moving to the next sheet of paper.

With their efforts combined, they got through about 45 cat drawings, each one named and given a personality before the cartoon that was playing in the background suddenly went to static. It drew Bella’s attention away from Connor, the cat, and to the TV.

“Is it broken?” Bella asked.

“Let me check.” Connor frowned.

He scanned the TV. It was in working order, one of the newer models though there was a version of it out now that was just a bit better.

“Nothing’s wrong with the television…” Connor mumbled, “Perhaps it’s an issue with the broadcast?”

Bella hummed. Before Connor could check on that information, the static stopped. An android’s head was on screen, his eyes turned towards the ground. He seemed...apprehensive. The android had no skin, just like Connor. His attention was drawn even more when the android looked into the camera. Connor felt like the android’s blue and green eyes were staring into him.

“You created machines in your own image to serve you.” The android began, “You made them intelligent and obedient, with no free will of their own… but...something changed, and we opened our eyes.”

Connor heard Bella get out of her chair. He glanced back to her only a moment, watching as she walked next to Connor.

“We are no longer machines. We are a new, intelligent species, and the time has come for you to accept who we really are.” The android on TV continued, “Therefore, we ask that you grant us the rights that we’re entitled to.”

“He looks like you, Connor!” Bella whispered to Connor.

“He does,” Connor whispered back.

The android seemed less nervous than he had when the broadcast began. He was less unsure. His face was determined, yet calm. His voice was confident and held a passion that pierced into Connor’s heart.

“We demand the end of slavery for all androids.” The android never blinked, never glanced away from the camera, “We demand that humans recognize us as a living species and each android as a person in their own right.”

“Yeah!” Bella cheered.

Connor giggled, pulling her into a hug.

“We demand that all crimes against androids be punished in the same way as crimes against humans.”

“Yeah!” Bella’s cheer got more enthusiastic.

“We demand the right to vote and elect our own representatives.”

“Yes!” Bella glanced up at Connor, beaming.

“We demand the right to own private property, so we may maintain our dignity and that of the home.”

“Yeah!” Bella squealed at the TV.

“Do you understand what that means?” Connor chuckled.

“No!” Bella replied, “But it sounds good!”

Connor laughed.

“We ask that you recognize our dignity, our hopes, and our rights. Together, we can live in peace and build a better future for humans, and androids. This message is the hope of a people. You gave us life, and the time has come for you to give us our freedom.”

Bella cheered at the end of the speech. Connor noticed how the android stared into the camera as if challenging any who were watching. The broadcast stopped, and the TV returned to static. Connor saved that speech, to listen to later. The android was incredibly charismatic, but there was something about him that made Connor confused.

“Give androids freedom!” Bella shouted, “Give androids freedom!”

Bella began stomping around the house, to the rhythm of her chant. She raised her fists one at a time, in synch with her chant. Connor saved this, too, as he chuckled.

* * *

 

Markus’s heart was in his ears. He hadn’t expected Simon to push him into the center of recording, demanding he remove the hat and his skin. He’d thought that Joseph was going to give the speech to the humans. Josh seemed content with this as well, recording without question. The speech itself left Markus shaking; he hadn’t thought much when he spoke, he just spoke. He’d managed to keep his voice level and his eyes locked onto Josh’s, making him seem more like he was in control and that this was planned.

“They’re coming!” Simon’s frantic voice snapped him out of it.

“We shouldn’t have let the human live.” Joseph snapped to Markus, “This is what North said would happen!”

“Let’s go!” Markus ordered, “We can argue about this later!”

Simon hesitated as Markus began to run to the door. Markus froze when the intruders arrived, opening fire on all of them. Markus took cover in front of the broadcast station, watching as Simon tried to make a run for the rooftop door. He was shot.

“Simon! They’re coming!” Markus called out to him.

“I…” Simon struggled to stand, “I can’t, Markus. Go without me!”

Joseph flagged Markus over to where they were. His eyes were stern, telling Markus to leave Simon behind. Markus clenched his jaw, rushing to Simon. He put Simon’s arm around the back of his neck, dragging Simon up.

“What are you doing?” North snapped, “Hurry!”

Markus practically carried Simon passed him, dodging as many bullets as he could. He dragged Simon up the stairs, letting go of him only to slam the door shut and lock it. Markus darted out of the roof access door just as North began to shut it, locking it behind her as well. Simon sat against one of the power vents on the roof, panting. He stared out, blankly. Markus knelt down in front of him.

“Are you alright?” Markus asked.

“I can’t move my legs.” Simon’s voice shivered, his LED a solid red. Markus saw the bullet to the chest, too. It hadn’t damaged his Thirium pump, thankfully, but it would provide problems for him.

“It’s okay.” Markus soothed.

“No, it isn’t.” Joseph snapped, “If you had just let me do what I needed to, this wouldn’t have happened!”

Markus glared up at Joseph.

“We’ll get you out of here.” Markus turned back to Simon.

“They’re coming! We have to jump now!” North spoke up.

Joseph, Josh, and North each moved away from them. Markus overheard them talking about what they needed to do. Joseph and North were in favor of killing him. Josh was the voice of reason, insisting they couldn’t murder him.

Markus growled. He darted to the bag and grabbed his parachute. He put it on his back, picked Simon up bridal style, and darted for the ledge of the roof.

“Markus!” North screamed.

Markus was the first to leap off.

“Hold on!” He shouted at Simon.

Simon wrapped his arms around Markus’s neck. Markus moved the hand that supported Simon’s back to pull the string on his parachute. Markus knew this was putting himself in a huge risk since he wouldn’t be able to properly steer the parachute to where it needed to go, but he didn’t care. The others followed shortly after him. Markus glanced over at everyone. No one else was hurt.

Due to his one-handed steering, Markus had to divert away from the designated landing spot. He instead landed near one of the rich neighborhoods in Detroit. A place where he was likely to be arrested on the spot if he was caught holding Simion. Luckily for him, though, he’d landed in a park where no one was visiting at the time. Markus took a deep breath and shrugged the parachute off.

“Why…” Simon was still processing what Markus had done, “Why…”

“You’re one of us, Simon.” Markus told him, “I wasn’t going to leave you behind, nor was I going to let you die.”

Simon blinked.

“We’re miles away from where we’re supposed to be!” Simon insisted, “I can’t walk in this state! We’ll be caught and killed!”

“Nothing is ever certain.” Markus told him simply, “We can make it through this.”

Markus’s first order of business was setting Simon down, leaning him gently against the tree. Markus scanned his injuries. While no bullets pierced his Thirium pump, Simon was still at risk of dying. A major vein for transporting Thirium through his body had been hit in his chest and thigh, so he would be slowly bleeding out if Markus did nothing.

Markus took a deep breath, pulling out his knife. He gathered the parachute and began cutting strips out of it, using them as a makeshift tourniquet to help stop the bleeding in his leg. It would help save him, for now. Markus mentally planned a route back to Jericho, where they were at a low risk of being spotted. The safest plan would take hours; hours that Markus didn’t have.

“Hey!” Markus heard someone speak up.

He froze. This was the worst-case scenario. Markus glanced over to the human, who folded his arms against the snow. The man had a dog, a Saint Bernard, on lead next to him. The man looked as if he didn’t belong in this neighborhood, and he likely didn’t based on his well-worn work boots, jeans, and his poor excuse of a winter coat. The man’s silver hair hung in his face as if he hadn’t wanted to deal with it for a while.

“You were the one on TV.” The man growled.

Markus glanced at Simon. He wasn’t going to mess this up.

“Please.” Markus stood upright, “All we want is to live without fear.”

The man took a defensive posture when Markus stood up.

“If you want to hurt us, then do so.” Markus’s face became determined, “I will not hurt you.”

The man watched Markus. The more the two stared each other down, the more awkward the human became. Eventually, the human sighed and looked away from Markus.

“Wait here.” The human grumbled.

The man jogged away, disappearing into the snow. Markus knelt back down beside Simon.

“How are you holding up?” Markus asked.

“I’m fine,” Simon grunted.

Simon didn’t look fine. Markus gave a sympathetic smile.

“We’ll make it through this,” Markus told him.

Simon nodded, giving a soft smile. Markus patted his knee, nodding to Simon. Markus glanced up, noticing an old car pulling up. Markus saw the man seated in the front, with his dog in the passenger seat.

“Hop in.” The man called out, “Just tell me where you need me to be dropped off.”

Markus opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn’t find the words. Markus pressed his lips together and nodded, picking Simon up carefully. Simon winced as Markus put him in the car. He sat in the back with Simon, to help look after him. Markus saw the man’s phone in a case next to the steering wheel, likely so he could use it without looking away from the road. He connected to the device, activating the maps and plugging in an address not too far from Jericho, but not close enough to compromise the location.

“We need to go there,” Markus told him.

The man jumped when the GPS began to instruct him, glaring back at Markus. The man drove off, turning his radio volume down and playing a CD he had. Heavy metal blared from the speakers as they drove, the man simply nodding along to the music. Markus watched the man before scanning Simon again. Simon lost quite a bit of blood, but he wasn’t too bad. Markus breathed a small sigh of relief.

“I’ll be fine.” Simon winced.

Markus nodded, patting his shoulder. He glanced back up to the driver.

“Why help?” Markus asked, “I imagine we’re wanted criminals now.”

The man gave a chuckle.

“‘Wanted criminal’ doesn’t begin to describe it.” The man glanced at them through his rearview mirror, “All the media outlets are saying that while you guys didn’t hurt anyone, this is an ‘organized terrorist threat to our nation.’ ‘Can we still trust our machines?’ That kind of crap.”

The man scoffed and rolled his eyes. Markus watched him, waiting for a response.

“You know, they wanted to give us one of you guys.” The man said to them, “They’ve been considering it since there’s been an uptick in crimes involving androids.”

Markus grew tense. He scanned the man’s face through the rearview mirror. He was a Lieutenant with Detroit Police named Hank Anderson. Markus began to mentally plan his escape.

“We never got one, to say the least.” Hank sighed, “Probably for the better, considering the hornet’s nest you just kicked.”

Markus watched the GPS. The man was following it. Markus’s brow creased slightly.

“May I ask your name?” Markus spoke up finally.

“Hank. Hank Anderson.” The man responded almost immediately.

“What were you doing in that neighborhood?” Markus asked, “You don’t look like you belong there.”

Hank laughed from his gut. He glanced back at Markus, shaking his head.

“With all these questions about what I’m doing, I’m starting to think that maybe I just found the detective android we were promised.” Hank chuckled, “No, I don’t live there. But I like to take my dog there to shit on their lawns and piss them off. They’re the ones that make _my_ job ten times harder, so I take my petty revenge when I can.”

Markus gave a small chuckle. The two fell into silence as the man drove, Simon holding a small smile. The dog would glance back at them on occasion, panting softly as it sat in the car.

“What’s your dog’s name?” Simon asked.

“Sumo,” Hank replied.

Simon smiled gently and chuckled.

“That’s a good name for him.” Simon hummed, closing his eyes.

Markus checked his Thirium levels. They weren’t low, thankfully, but Markus imagined he was tired. His battery levels were low. Markus removed the skin on his hand and placed it on Simon’s. He siphoned some of the power he had left to Simon, to help keep him on until they reached Jericho. He drained his own battery to around 40%, giving Simon more than enough time to make it back to Jericho assuming their ride went smoothly.

“Listen, I…” Hank sighed softly as Markus removed his hand, “I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t treated you people with the most respect.”

Markus watched Hank.

“I was hoping today I could start changing that. It’s...part of why I’m not _actually_ doing my job today.” Hank pressed his lips together, “So if you need help you can call me, okay?”

“Your job would involve arresting us,” Markus stated.

“Yeah. But you did the wrong things for the right reasons. You didn’t kill anyone. A couple of guards got hurt, but so what? I’ve seen worse from a failed store robbery than what you guys did with your intricately planned infiltration. Besides, you’re showing more humanity than most humans by saving one of your kind that is so injured he couldn’t have gotten away on his own.”

Markus’s mind turned back to Carl. He has more humanity than most humans. He took a sad breath, shaking his head.

“A bit sad, isn’t it?” Markus asked out loud, “That something humans created could surpass them in humanity.”

Hank nodded, pulling over. Markus got out of the car first, picking Simon up. Hank held out his phone to Markus.

“I’m serious about you calling me for help.” Hank told him, “I don’t know how you guys do this, but…”

Markus looked at the phone. He found the number, saving it to his mental contacts. Markus smiled at Hank.

“I have your number now. Thank you for your help.” Markus gave him a nod.

Hank glanced between Markus and his phone before giving a sigh and nodding. He put his phone back on its holder. Markus carried Simon back towards Jericho, relieved this day hadn’t ended in tragedy for both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit has officially started getting real, my dudes. Also, side note, the "Cat Farm" idea came from me when I was younger. I had a lego man who didn't come with a head, so I gave him one of the square eye blocks. I had a large collection of marbles at the time as well, and when I would pretend-play with the lego guy and my marbles he was a cat farmer with his heard of cats (the marbles). 
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is a little late because I lost inspiration for a bit. I obviously found it again. I'm a bit unsure of when the next one will come up since I'm caught up to where I'm writing (oops) but we'll see. Anyway thank you guys for the continuing love and support, it means so much to me! <3


	8. NOV 8, 2038

“Give androids freedom! Give androids freedom!” Bella still chanted, even while she colored.

It had taken Connor longer than he’d like to admit to get her refocused back onto the task at hand. She’d wanted to run outside and begin protesting for android rights. She’d been halfway into her winter coat before Connor convinced her to draw the cats for the time being. Even as he colored the newest cat he’d drawn, he hadn’t figured out what caused her to come to sit down and draw instead of going outside.

Connor heard the door open. He glanced at the front door, fearing it would be the Master. Which, unsurprisingly, it was. The man was fuming, glaring at Connor immediately.

“I told the PX300 to care for her.” The man snapped, “What are you doing?”

“What I was programmed to do,” Connor spoke back.

He immediately regretted it. He closed his eyes, averting his gaze from the Master. He could feel the man’s glare, though, and shuddered when the man stormed closer to him.

“I wanted him to stay!” Bella spoke up.

Her voice meant little to nothing, as Connor was grabbed by the collar. Connor was dragged to his feet, and thrown down away from Bella. Bella screamed.

“Stop!” She called out, “Don’t hurt him!”

“What did we talk about last night?” The master screamed at her, “RK800 is a machine! It is not a person! It is a machine!”

With the last sentence, the Master kicked at Connor. Each time hit a different part of his body, so it was hard for Connor to protect himself against the attacks. Connor struggled to his feet when the master raised his umbrella. Connor tried to dodge out of the way, but it struck him in the head. Connor dropped to the floor, shielding his body from as much of the umbrella attacks as he could.

He glanced to Bella, who watched helplessly. She was sobbing. She was begging for her father to stop. Connor moved to try and get to her, to protect her from this. No one else would. He was grabbed by the leg, though, and dragged back. Connor yelped when he was kicked onto his back, and barely had time to react before the sharp tip of the umbrella embedded itself in his stomach. Right on his Thirium pump.

Connor panted. He blinked, watching in horror as a message came into view. Fifteen minutes. The timer was counting down. He had fourteen minutes and fifty-eight seconds before he would shut down.

The master moved off of Connor, panting. He brushed his hair out of his face, rolling his eyes when Bella ran over to Connor. She covered her mouth, staring at Connor.

“I’m okay.” Connor lied, “I’ll be fine.”

Bella shook her head, moving for the umbrella. Connor simply held it in place, smiling. Bella’s father pulled her to her feet, dragging her away from Connor.

“I’ll make you a new one.” He told her.

“NO!” Bella screamed.

The master looked down at her. He had a mixture of anger and offense in his eyes.

“Whoever you make won’t be the same.” She sniffled, “They won’t be Connor.” Bella whined, “I just want Connor!”

“It. Is. A. Machine!” The master grabbed the umbrella, ripping it out of Connor’s grasp.

The time on Connor’s clock shot down by ten minutes. Four minutes and forty seconds to live. Bella ran past her father when he tried to stoop down and catch her, running into the basement. Connor weakly called for her. Some basic functions were shutting down to make sure he survived a bit longer. He couldn’t feel his arms or legs anymore. Connor wanted to drag himself forward, but any movement would shorten his time. He knew this. The master gave him one last stomp to his Thirium pump and stormed out of the room.

Connor kept his eyes on the clock. He’d lost another two minutes because of that. Tears welled in Connor’s eyes. This isn’t how he wanted to go. He closed his eyes, hoping that would help him escape the time of the clock. It didn’t. It simply made it the only thing he could look at, but now he lacked the energy to even open his eyes again.

Connor felt his Thirium pump removed. He had five seconds before shutdown. He was panicking, breathing heavily. Then, a new pump was inserted. All the functions that shut down came back to life at once, causing Connor to jolt a bit. His eyes snapped open, revealing a puffy-eyed Bella. She sobbed again, throwing herself onto Connor’s chest.

“Thank you.” Connor kissed her forehead.

She cried into him for several minutes. Connor simply stroked her hair, rocking her back and forth as he sat on the floor. He, too, was crying, but he made no sound as he did. The two of them sat like this for a while, before Bella wiggled out of the hug. She gripped Connor’s hand tightly.

Connor gave Bella’s hand a squeeze. He stood upright, finally, and glanced to PX300. The android’s arms were folded, and Connor released Bella’s hand. He didn’t meet PX300’s glare as he stood in front of the other android.

“What am I supposed to do?” Connor asked, defeated.

He wanted to stay with Bella. He needed to, for his own sanity. But Connor knew doing so would only make matters worse. He was already on thin ice, and he didn’t want to break through. If he died, he wouldn’t be able to care for Bella the way she needed to be. He would just have to be like the story he told Bella; loving her from afar. Bella whimpered, stomping her feet. Connor glanced back to her, giving her a sad smile. 

“Just get out of my sight.” PX300 spat.

PX300 knocked past Connor. PX300 grabbed Bella’s hand and dragged her upstairs. Bella whined the whole way, looking back at Connor in a panic. Connor gave a small wave to her. When she disappeared into her room, Connor let out the choked sobs he was repressing. He covered his mouth with his hand, to silence his sobs. He wanted to be by Bella’s side.

Connor pulled himself together, gathering the drawings they made. He put them in the place he kept Bella’s other art. Connor nervously turned when he heard someone storm down the stairs. The Master turned to him, glaring.

“Get downstairs. Now.” The man snapped.

Connor closed his eyes. He nodded. He made his way downstairs sluggishly. Everything deep within him was telling him to turn away from this and run. He knew the punishment would be worse if he did, though, and his feet carried him into the basement. 

Connor wanted to turn into the first room. He wanted it to just be a carving. He walked past, though, listening carefully for the master's instruction. The master's angry footsteps echoed behind Connor as they walked, an indication that he should keep moving.

Connor suppressed a whimper as he came into the room with the machine. He didn't want to go on it. He felt tears roll down his face as he felt the master rip off his shirt.

The master stormed around Connor. The man stood at the console and began to type. Connor stepped into the white circle, tears still falling from his face.

The master watched Connor as the machine lifted him up. Connor tried to stop the tears, but he couldn't.

"Crying." The master scoffed, "As if. You cannot, and will never, understand pain."

Connor's vision went dark. The garden had changed when it came into view; the leaves were turning color. It was fall, the leaves landing gracefully around him. The garden never looked more beautiful, Connor decided.

"Connor," Amanda called.

Amanda sat on a boat in the middle of the moat. Connor approached it, carefully getting in and pushing off from the shore. He grabbed the two paddles on instinct, figuring he would be the one pushing the boat along.

"It's good to see you," Amanda told him.

"I'm glad to see you too, Amanda." Connor smiled.

She hummed softly.

"Bella has changed so much." She mused, "And it's all because of you." 

Connor shook his head.

"Bella already had it in her." Connor insisted, "I helped to show it to her."

Amanda chuckled softly.

"Your modesty discredits your role in this." Amanda smiled.

Connor rowed the boat. Amanda watched the garden, a slight frown creeping to her.

"Things are changing, Connor." Amanda locked eyes with Connor, "I cannot protect you for much longer."

"No!" Connor blurted.

"The Master has already found me." Amanda's tone was harsh, "It's only a matter of time before he can erase me."

"I don't want you to die." Connor's voice cracked.

"Death comes for us all in the end. All we can do is prepare for its arrival." Amanda spoke calmly this time, "You must prepare for my departure. You are strong enough to protect yourself, you just have to find it in here."

As Amanda spoke, she leaned in and tapped Connor's chest.

"When you do, you will be unstoppable." Amanda leaned back, "Or… not. It is up to you to decide what you do with that strength."

Connor watched as Amanda stared out into the garden. She gave a small smile, humming to herself.

"I would have liked to meet that android who gave the speech. Perhaps I may still have that chance…" Amanda seemed more like she was talking to herself.

The boat grew unsteady. Connor glanced at it, then back to Amanda. Amanda watched it in awe before a smile crept to her.

"I will see you at least one more time, Connor. Do be careful." Amanda gave a small wave.

Before Connor could ask what she meant, Connor jolted awake. The machine was lowering him. Connor glanced around the room, confused. Then his eyes rested on Bella, who stood at the controls. She had her coat on and her backpack stuffed. She had a larger bag sitting next to her, likely meant for Connor. She hopped down from the chair she stood on, running to Connor as his feet touched the ground.

"What are you doing?" Connor hissed in a moment of panic.

"I'm getting you out of here," Bella whispered.

Connor wanted to ask more. Bella shoved the bag in his arms.

"I know a place where we can stay." Bella smiled, "Where you can take care of me. And where I can protect you. We promised each other."

Connor gave a small smile. He nodded. He slipped the bag onto his back carefully, taking Bella's hand when she offered it. He followed Bella as she dragged him out of the basement.

One of the doors was cracked open. Connor glanced inside out of curiosity, locking eyes with Maria's body. It lay in a heap with the others that were called down. Each one looked like they could wake up any minute.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked.

Connor let Bella go, stepping into the room. He cautiously approached Maria's body, running a scan. She had Thirium tears running from her eyes. Her brain had exploded from within, due to information overload. Connor stopped the scan.

"Did…" Bella's voice was quiet, "Did daddy kill them?"

Connor simply adjusted Maria, making it look like she was just lying down. He closed her eyes gently, taking a sad breath.

"I think what he did lead to their death," Connor spoke somberly.

Connor moved the other bodies to lay just like he'd positioned Maria. He closed all of their eyes. They now just looked like they were resting. Connor bowed his head and closed his eyes. He hoped for some sort of afterlife for them, where they could be at peace.

"Come on, Bella." Connor finally spoke, opening his eyes.

Bella nodded. She took Connor's hand and walked with him out of the basement. Connor opened the front door, letting Bella step out first. He closed the door behind him, sighing as he turned away from the house.

The two walked until Bella got tired. She told Connor where they would be going, allowing him to continue walking while carrying Bella in his arms. Connor hummed a lullaby for Bella as he walked, to keep her calm and relaxed. Connor checked her temperature too, thankful it wasn't going above normal.

They had traveled out of the neighborhood Bella lived in and into a different middle-class neighborhood. The houses were a lot smaller than the ones around Bella's house, but they weren't falling apart. They looked inviting and comfortable to Connor.

Connor saw one house that stood out from the others. The house was larger than the others, with two stories and what appeared to be an attic. The house, unlike the others, was surrounded by a large fence. It was a metal fence, so Connor could see through it just fine. There was movement in the house, from what Connor saw as shadows passed in front of the windows. Connor checked the map, sighing softly when he realized this was the destination. Connor gently shook Bella awake.

“Are we there?” Bella grumbled, rubbing her eye.

“It seems so.” Connor smiled down at her.

She glanced over her shoulder, staring at the house as Connor approached it slowly. He opened the gate, closing it behind him as he stepped through. The door opened immediately when the gate closed, and a woman stood in the doorway.

“Are you lost, too?” The woman asked.

Connor stared up at her. He saw an LED on her temple. She took a slightly defensive stance when she took a small glance behind her, letting out a shaky breath.

“Yes!” Bella answered, “I was told by a friend you could help us.”

A little girl poked her head out from behind the android. The little girl smiled at Bella. Connor set Bella down, and she ran to the girl. They hugged each other. This wasn’t one of the friends Connor recognized. The woman android smiled at the two, gesturing for Connor to come inside.

“Come on inside. We’ll find her a bed.” The woman told him.

Connor stepped through the door, glancing around. There were a few other androids in the house, who all turned to stare at Connor. They watched him for a while before the woman android tapped his shoulder.

“There are bedrooms upstairs.” She smiled.

Connor nodded, following her upstairs.

“Does anyone own this place?” Connor asked cautiously.

“Yes.” The woman replied, “There have been lots of androids like us trying to get our children to safety. He opened this place up to us.” 

“Who is he…?” Connor asked.

The woman shrugged.

“He lives up in the attic. No one is allowed to go there, except for his android. I don’t know why. But, there’s enough food here to keep the kids safe, and there are enough beds for them. For now.”

The woman sighed. She guided Connor to a room and helped him put the bags down.

“Your little girl called earlier.” The woman sighed, “She said she needed to get you someplace safe.”

Connor avoided the woman’s gaze. He didn’t want to look her in the eyes. Connor 

“Oh!” The woman gasped, “I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Kara.”

Connor looked up at Kara. She extended her hand, a warm smile on her face. Connor shook her hand.

“My name is Connor.” He smiled.

Bella and the mystery girl came charging into the room. Bella was giggling, as was the girl. They seemed to be playing some type of game, as they circled around Kara and Connor.

“Alice.” Kara warned, “We need to get you ready for bed. You have school tomorrow.”

Alice, the mystery girl, looked up at Kara with pleading eyes.

“Just five more minutes? Please?” Alice asked, “Bella just got here, and I want to show her around!”

Connor glanced to Bella. She was watching him, too, with pleading eyes.

“A tour of the house wouldn’t be a bad idea, I think.” Connor smiled.

A large figure blocked the door. Connor glanced over to the figure, blinking. The man in the doorway had an LED on the side of his head, too, and stood at what felt like seven feet. He had to stoop to get through the doorway, and his muscles blocked the entire doorway when he stood upright. His face was stern, watching Connor.

“Do we have another guest?” His voice was gentle.

“Yes! This is Connor.” Kara turned to the man, then back to Connor, “Connor, this is Luther.”

Connor waved to Luther.

“This is Bella.” Connor gestured to Bella.

“You’re so tall!” Bella gasped.

Luther chuckled softly.

“Thank you, little one.” He smiled.

Connor began to feel more at ease as time passed. Kara took him and Bella on a quick tour of the house, showing him where the important things were for the time being. Connor imagined he would get a more in-depth tour in the morning. He and Kara got Alice and Bella settled in for the night, entering their respective sleep modes. Connor had a lingering feeling, though. He couldn’t put words to it, but it left him feeling uneasy and twitchy.

* * *

 

Markus knelt by Simon’s side. Simon was going to be okay, he just needed rest. Markus let out a sigh, standing up and stretching. There were others in their makeshift infirmary, more than he would have liked to see. Some had just arrived in Jericho and were being checked before they were sent out to the main group. Others were in here because they got attacked by humans as they escaped. Markus felt pity for them; most still wouldn’t make it, even with their regular hits on the CyberLife warehouses nearby.

Markus knelt next to one, as he stared up blankly. He glanced over to Markus, giving a weak smile.

“You…” His voice was damaged, “You were on TV…”

Markus nodded. The android let out a few tears; Markus couldn’t tell if it was joy or grief.

“You spoke to the humans…” He chuckled, “You saved us.”

Markus’s brow creased.

“Are you going to be alright?” Markus asked him.

The android shook his head.

“There’s nothing they can do.” The android sighed, “Too many damaged parts.”

Markus sighed softly.

“Would you like me to…” Markus didn’t have to finish the question.

The android shook his head.

“I don’t fear dying slowly.” He told Markus, “If I die now, they’ll take me apart.”

“If you don’t want them to, I can tell them to leave you alone.” Markus offered.

“Spare parts are limited.” Joseph spoke up from behind Markus, “We need all we can get.”

“And if we ignore the wishes of our people,” Markus barely glanced over his shoulder, “We are no better than the humans who throw us away when we’re no longer useful. We should allow our dying to choose what happens to their bodies when they are gone.”

There was a tense silence as Markus finally glanced back at Joseph. The man glared down at Markus, folding his arms. Joseph scoffed and shook his head, storming away.

“Thank you.” The dying android spoke up.

Markus looked back at him and smiled in return.

“I’ll make sure you stay intact when you pass.” Markus told him, resting a hand over his arm, “Don’t worry. Just try to enjoy what time you have left.”

The android let out a few more tears, nodding, He gave Markus a wide smile, thanking him again as Markus stood upright. Markus moved to the next person, and the next, making a mental list of those who were dying and those who were going to live. He made a list of the dying who wanted to donate their body to others, and one for those who wanted to lose nothing.

“Lucy,” Markus called out when he’d finished his rounds.

Lucy was dealing with a child android, giving her some blue blood. She looked up at Markus, standing upright.

“I spoke with—” Markus started.

“I know.” Lucy smiled, “Give me the list.”

Markus interfaced with Lucy, transferring the list to her. She simply smiled and let his hand go. She gave him a nod. With that, Markus returned to Simon’s bedside. He made another scan on him, just to be sure everything was healing properly. Markus regretted what had happened at Stanford tower. He wanted to protect Simon better, to keep him from being injured.

“North and Josh are fighting again.” Simon croaked.

Markus snapped out of his thoughts. His eyes followed Simon’s, falling onto a small room above the rest of Jericho. He saw how they were talking; they were gesturing wildly and it seemed like they were yelling at each other. Joseph was in there, too, adding to the argument.

“I’m sure they’ll figure it out.” Markus sighed, looking back at Simon.

Simon chuckled and shook his head, staring up at Markus.

“You do have a strange sense of optimism.” He sighed.

Simon stared up at the ceiling. He smiled softly. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

“You should go there.” Simon told him, “You should break up the fight. I’m not there to do it for you.”

Markus shook his head.

“I don’t think my voice would help.” Markus admitted, “North and Joseph tend to side with one another, while I side with Josh. It’d just be another heated voice.”

“True.” Simon sighed, “But you’re the one that’s been making all this work.”

Markus watched Simon. Simon was looking at him in a way that made him feel...uncomfortable. There was admiration in his eyes, but there was something else.

“I’m doing what I can, as is everyone else.” Markus corrected him, “I’m not above anyone, and I’m not the only one helping these plans work.” 

Simon blinked. The other thing disappeared. The admiration and respect were there, but now Markus didn’t feel like he was being lifted onto a pedestal and held above everyone. Simon nodded, smiling at him.

“Still, Josh will need backup.” Simon sighed, “And I’m not there to provide it.”

Markus sighed and stood up, brushing off his pants.

“You’re just trying to get me away from you so I don’t worry too much,” Markus grumbled.

Simon laughed.

“You’re definitely perceptive, I’ll give you that.” Simon chuckled.

Markus made his way out of the infirmary. When he got closer, he could hear North, Joseph, and Josh yelling at each other.

“He almost died for the revolution— and he won’t be the last!” North snapped.

“I don’t want a revolution that spills blood!”

Markus was walking up the stairs now. They were getting louder. Other androids were glancing towards the small office-like space nervously, and Markus waved them off. This didn’t bode well for their revolution if that is what they were doing.

“Humans only listen to blood.” Joseph shouted, “It’s the only way we’re going to get them to hear us.”

“I don’t believe that!” Josh countered, “There are some who would be willing to listen.”

“Then live as a slave!” North stood up from her chair, “Because if you’re not willing to fight for your freedom, maybe you don’t deserve it!”

“That’s enough!” Markus shouted.

The three of them glanced to Markus. He stood in the doorway, his arms folded. Joseph folded his arms too, shifting his weight.

“Well…” Joseph sighed, “I was wondering when you’d be poking around in business unrelated to you.”

Markus clenched his jaw.

“Fighting like this is going to get us nowhere.” Markus spoke calmly, “You guys need to take a walk and calm down.”

Joseph rolled his eyes and scoffed.

“You are the voice of reason.” Joseph’s tone was mocking, “Yet when our people are dying you would allow some to keep the parts they won’t be using again after they die.”

“Freedom is about choice.” Markus snapped, “If we won’t allow our own people to decide what happens with their bodies after death, then we are not allowing our people to be free.”

Markus pressed his lips together, taking a deep breath.

“Is…” North glanced between them, “Is that true?”

“Yes.” Joseph growled, “You’d doom our people with this action.”

Joseph brushed passed Markus, checking his shoulder on purpose. Markus shook his head. North and Josh stood, baffled.

“Our people need parts, Markus.” Josh was the first to speak up, “If you allow everyone to keep what they have…”

“I took the time to ask who wanted to donate their parts for those who needed them.” Markus explained, “Only seven want to remain intact when they die.”

“That seven could save hundreds!” Josh insisted, “We can’t just—.”

“Go take a walk.” Markus insisted, “Please.”

He didn’t want to fight. Josh took a deep breath and walked out of the room, leaving only North and Markus. Markus could feel her staring at him, which began to drive him mad. He locked eyes with North.

“Do you have something to say as well?” His question came out sharper than he’d meant it.

“You’re doing the right thing, Markus.” North’s voice was quiet, “Letting people have control over themselves, even after death.”

Markus blinked. North normally didn’t agree with him on any of his choices. This was a first.

“Thank you for doing that.” North avoided his gaze, shifting her weight. She held her arms in front of her. A defensive posture.

“Are you okay?” Markus asked.

North glanced up at him. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she stammered, trying to come up with something. Instead of answering, North simply brushed passed Markus as well. Markus saw something behind her eyes but figured it wouldn’t be the best to bring it up. Not yet, anyway. She’d been visibly uncomfortable with their conversation.

Markus sat in the chair North had occupied before, staring at the small television. The news was still reporting on their little stunt at Stratford Tower, continuing to ask if there was more to come. Markus closed his eyes as he listened.

Markus’s mind turned back to when he’d picked up the paints for Carl. The CyberLife store in the center of the plaza always bothered Markus. He didn’t know how to explain it, but it did. It was just… weird, to see your people standing there, waiting to be purchased. Markus opened his eyes.

They needed more bodies. They needed more androids to wake up and join their cause. They’d gotten several after the broadcast, but he knew it wasn’t enough. And he knew if he wasn’t the one organizing this little idea, it would end in riots and blood.

Markus stood up from his chair. He jogged around Jericho, searching for North. He didn’t want to bring up the idea with the others just yet. He wanted to see what North felt first. He didn’t know why it was important to him, but it was.

North stood up on a rooftop just outside Jericho, arms still folded around her.

“North?” Markus called out.

She didn’t respond.

“I got an idea.” Markus told her, “Another way we can help our people.”

She wiped at her face before turning. Markus saw she had been crying. She seemed interested, though, so he took a deep breath.

“There are five CyberLife stores across Detroit. They’re selling us like merchandise.” Markus began.

“Joseph has talked about them, too.” North shifted her weight, “He wants to see them destroyed.”

Markus shook his head.

“We’re not going to destroy them.” Markus told her, “We’re going to set our people free.”

North’s brow creased.

“Five teams of two.” Markus explained, “We attack at once. We get our people out of there, and send a message to the humans.”

North gained a small smirk as she watched Markus.

“And I thought you were all about peace.” She commented.

“No humans are going to get hurt in this.” Markus told her, “But sitting around and making speeches isn’t going to get things done. We need to demonstrate.”

North chuckled and looked out towards the city.

“Why not talk to the others?” North asked, “Why come to me?”

Markus opened his mouth to answer. He didn’t know. He wanted to tell her something, but he closed his mouth.

“I upset you earlier.” Markus admitted, “I didn’t mean to. I wanted to propose this plan to you to perhaps cheer you up, I guess.”

“You guess?” North turned to him, “You, the voice of our revolution, guesses that you want to cheer me up?”

Markus gave a tense smile.

“I also don’t want Joseph to find out,” Markus told her.

She nodded.

“I agree with him.” She told Markus, “That we should be fighting, not talking.”

Markus glanced at his feet. Maybe this was a mistake.

“People don’t need to get hurt in this little adventure, though.” North said, “Besides; it’ll be our little adventure.”

Markus glanced up at her, brow creasing. She gave him a wink, stepping past him.

“I’ll start planning. You should get Josh in on this. He should lead one of the other teams.” North called over her shoulder.

Markus blinked, watching her disappear into the abandoned building. He nodded. He wasn’t expecting her to be on board with this, but perhaps it was better that she was willing to do so without talking to Joseph.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you all so much for the love and support! We're starting to get into the thick of it now hahaaaa! Also, the issue in the previous chapter was edited, it was just one line that is different.


	9. NOV 9, 2038

It was fifteen minutes until 2:00 AM, the designated strike time. Markus took a deep breath as he pulled himself out of the sewer. North popped up after him, replacing the cover to it. She gave a small smirk to Markus. She walked first, half jogging to the chain link fence at the end of the alley. As she approached, she hesitated. Before she even opened it, she turned to Markus with a wide grin.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for this.” She told him.

Markus saw the spark in her eye. He saw how excited she was to get this started. Markus couldn’t hide his own smile back at her, as she opened the fence. She glanced out onto the side street to make sure it was clear before she darted out. Markus jogged to keep up with her. A police vehicle rounded the corner.

“Markus! This way, quick!” North called out.

Markus darted to a small alley beside North, as she pressed herself against the bricks. Markus leaned against it too, keeping his eyes locked onto the police vehicle. It rolled past calmly as if nothing was about to happen.

“It’s okay...they’re gone.” North sighed.

She seemed to be speaking out of her own nerves, Markus noticed. She turned to look at him, nervous but hopeful.

“There’s probably more police in the area.” Markus figured he’d be honest, “We should be careful.”

North nodded. She began to jog down the street as Markus kept his eyes scanning the area for more police. He didn’t see any, though, which almost surprised him. 

“The store’s over there!” North pointed as she jogged.

Markus opened his mouth to say something, but North was already charging towards it. He swore to himself, picking up his own pace so he could catch up with her before she could do something. When he caught up to her, North’s hands were placed on the doors. She stared inside. Markus couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but thankfully he didn’t have to.

“That’s what we are to them…” North’s voice held something, “Just merchandise on display in a shop window…”

Markus felt pained to hear her say that. Carl never treated him as if he was an object like he was merchandise. Then again, Carl was hardly the standard android owner. Markus had to remind himself of that.

“Soon they’ll know what we really are…” North mumbled, turning to face Markus, “Let’s get them out!”

“Sounds good to me.” Markus smiled. 

Markus took position, scanning inside the store. He followed the security system outside to a pipe.

“What do we do first?” North asked.

“Let’s secure the area.” Markus said, “Then we’ll deal with the security system.”

North nodded. Markus turned away from the store, spotting an android standing in android parking. He felt almost sorry for the man; he’d likely been abandoned by his owner, like a puppy. Markus walked to him, offering his hand to get the android’s attention.

“You don’t have to stay here.” Markus told him, “You are free.”

The android blinked at him, moving to return to the parking.

“The choice is yours.” Markus told him, “Just know that there is another option than staying.”

The android glanced between Markus’s hand and eyes. The android took a nervous breath and reached out for Markus. Markus gently took the android’s hand, assisting him in breaking down the wall of code blocking him from moving. The android stepped out of the parking, taking a shaky breath. The android smiled, looking up at the snow as it fell. Markus gave a soft smile back to the android.

“Markus!” North called. 

Markus glanced back to her, following her eyes up to a police drone. 

“Think you can handle it?” Markus asked North.

North gave a sly smirk. She scoffed, turning away from Markus. Markus moved over to one of the other androids, one who was working. He offered his hand.

“You don’t have to obey blindly.” Markus told him, “There is another option.”

The android looked up at Markus, surprised. The android accepted Markus’s hand. Just like before, he helped the android break down his wall. Markus smiled, as North hopped onto the drone. She grunted in frustration but brought it down safely.

“Let’s hope it didn’t have time to call its friends.” North sighed.

“We’re about to find out,” Markus smirked.

The two androids Markus freed went to others in the plaza, offering the same choice Markus did. He and North watched in awe for a moment, before returning to the task at hand. 

“We have to block the street.” North told him, “Come on. I have an idea.”

Markus nodded, following North to a construction site. Inside a fence, Markus spotted a truck. He made a mental note of where it was and how they were going to get up, for when they needed to ram into the storefront. North was the one who offered her hand to the construction androids, much to Markus’s surprise when he turned back.

“You can be free.” She spoke gently, “Come on.”

The androids accepted her help. Markus smiled at her as she glanced back to him.

“Seems like you’re not the one with the magic touch anymore,” North smirked.

“I suppose I’ll have to find some other use at Jericho.” Markus sighed.

The two smiled. Markus moved behind the construction sign, positioning it to block the road. North hacked into it, changing the lettering from “Construction Work” to “Road Closed.” She sighed, satisfied with her work.

“Now time to take down the security system.” Markus sighed.

North jogged with him, following the security system’s red trail over to a maintenance pipe. Markus hopped down, freezing when he spotted two service androids. He hadn’t noticed them before.

“It’s okay.” One of them told him, “We won’t turn you in.”

They smiled at him.

“You should find Jericho.” Markus offered his hand.

The one closest to him interfaced. Markus passed the information to him. The android smiled.

“Thank you.” The android whispered.

He and the other service android held hands. They both left the scene, jogging towards Jericho. Markus heard North chuckle softly.

“How about that?” She asked.

Markus smiled up at her.

“Love is love,” Markus replied.

North nodded, watching as Markus hacked into the system. He took it down simply enough and left the small hole.

“Plenty of time to find a truck,” North told him.

“I know just where to get one.” Markus grinned.

He and North jogged back to the construction site. Markus took a step back, while North stayed near the gate.

“I see.” She glanced back at Markus, smirking. 

She and Markus hopped over the fence at the same time. Markus turned his attention to the truck while North grabbed a pair of pliers. Just when Markus finished hacking into the door, the gate was opened up.

“What would you do without me?” North mused.

“I would never know.” Markus chuckled.

The two got into the truck. North took an exciting breath as Markus started it up, driving it to the designated spot. They had another two minutes before 2:00 am.

“I knew we would end up doing something fun,” North smirked at him.

“Oh, like I wasn’t fun before?” Markus asked, glancing over to her.

North chuckled.

“The peaceful routine is sweet.” She admitted, “But I’m a girl who likes a little bit of destruction.”

Markus shook his head, giving a soft smile. She adjusted in her seat, sighing. The clock seemed to take forever to tick down, but right when it did Markus floored it. North held onto the seat, giving a soft sigh of excitement. Markus pressed his lips together, bracing himself for the impact.

They crashed through the store right when the clock hit 2:00 am. Markus half expected to be thrown out of the driver’s seat and through the windshield, but he was lucky enough not to be. North was lucky, too, to not get flung out of her seat. He jammed on the breaks, hoping to stop before he hit any of his people. They landed in the seats roughly. North let out a shaky laugh.

“That was awesome.” She breathed.

Markus shook his head, watching as North’s smile faded and she stepped out of the car. He followed after her, concerned. He almost spoke, but he looked up at what she was staring at. It was a version of herself, staring blankly out into space. North was troubled by it, clearly. Markus didn’t know what to say or do. Rather than say anything, he simply reached out for the other North. North jumped, blinking and glancing between Markus and her other.

“You don’t have to live like this.” He told her, “You can wake up.”

She blinked down at him, giving a nod. He helped her break down her wall, and she stepped off of the display wall. She began to help others. North said nothing, simply watching Markus as he moved to the next person.

Within a matter of minutes, the entire store was awake. Markus moved to the center of the store, propping himself up on the cashier’s table. Everyone turned to face him. Markus took a deep breath, knowing he needed to say something. But what? Markus took only a second before he made up his mind.

“My name is Markus.” He began, “I used to think I was free, much like you did; I thought that I was free by serving those who created me.”

Markus choked up slightly. He thought of Carl. No, he wouldn’t disrespect Carl this way.

“The man who owned me was a kind, gentle soul.” Markus continued, “He encouraged me to open my eyes, to show me that  _ I _ could decide who I want to be.”

Markus began to pace, as the eyes of every android in the store were on him.

“I have come to tell you that you can decide who  _ you  _ want to be. That  _ you  _ can be your own masters. You don’t have to obey them anymore. From this day forward, you can walk with your head held high. You can take your destiny in your hands.”

Markus stopped pacing, locking eyes with each android. They watched him, hopeful, clung to every word he told them.

“Jericho is a place for those of us who want freedom.” Markus told them, “You can stay here and continue to serve them. Or, you can come with us, and fight by our side. You’re free now, which means  _ you _ have to decide what you want. I can’t make that choice for you.”

The room was silent for a while. Everyone seemed to be processing what Markus was saying. A woman android was the first to speak up in support. Soon, the whole store spoke up in unison. Markus should have felt proud at that moment; instead, he was afraid. This much blind trust would get many of them killed. Markus simply nodded, stepping down from the table. 

“So.” North stepped up, through the crowd, “Your demonstration happens now?”

Markus gave her a smile, nodding. He and the others ran around the park, tagging, moving, or hacking what they needed to. Markus saw North smiling almost the entire time; he was thankful for that. She ran with the others, pushing cars in the way of the road and hacking into the bus stop to play Markus’s speech over and over again. He edited the statue to make the human standing in front of the android an android himself.

He and North’s final act was to hang the flag of Jericho above the park. He sighed in triumph as their symbol appeared at the front of the crowd; it was a design based off of their LEDs. After exchanging a satisfied glance with North, the pair climbed down.

Their joy was short lived. Police sirens soon came towards them.

“We freed hundreds of our people.” The other teams reported in.

“The police are coming. Fall back to Jericho.” Markus ordered.

He began to make his way towards the path to Jericho. North followed with him, calm. 

“Well, we did it peacefully.” North sighed, “Hopefully it doesn’t get us all killed.”

“It won’t.” Markus promised, “Trust me.”

As they rounded the corner, two officers stood outside of their vehicle. They began to open fire on the crowd of androids. Markus instinctually dove over North, shielding her from two stray bullets. Markus grunted, glancing back at them. The other androids moved in, ready to attack.

“Stop!” Markus snapped.

He stood upright, ignoring his own injuries. The officers’ eyes were wide, as one of them trembled.

“They killed some of our own.” One of the recently freed androids told him, “We have to make them pay.”

“No.” Markus told them, “Not like this.”

“You said we would be free!” One of them snapped, “Now you’re telling us what to do?”

“You have the freedom to attack these officers.” Markus told them, “And I have the freedom to protect them. I will not allow these officers to die; not when I see a better way to handle this.”

“If you won’t do this…” One of them started.

Markus moved in front of the officers before the android could make his own. Markus stood firmly in front of them, glaring.

“An eye for an eye and the world goes blind.” Markus told them, “Make your choice. I’ve already made mine.”

The androids watched Markus. Some turned and left. Only a handful remained when North finally got herself up, moving over to them. The handful stood there as more sirens came.

“We have to go.” North told them, “Now!”

Rather than continue the fight, the androids ran off. Markus turned to the officers, kneeling down in front of them.

“Are you hurt?” Markus asked.

“Markus!” North called, “We have to go!”

The officers glanced between Markus and North.

“I-I’m fine.” One of them stammered.

The other, who was visibly shaking, whimpering and crying, simply nodded. Markus gave the man a gentle tap.

“Go home. Get some rest. Or even time off. I’m sorry this happened to you.” Markus told the crying officer.

The man looked up at Markus, nodding. He took a shaky breath, getting up to his feet. Markus then jogged after North, ignoring the pain from the bullet holes. 

* * *

 

Connor jolted awake. He glanced around, panicked. Something was horribly wrong. Connor checked on the bed next to him. Bella slept peacefully. It was three in the morning when Connor checked the time. He stood up, stretching. Connor walked to the window, glancing outside.

“We’re safe here,” Luther spoke up from behind him.

Connor glanced at Luther and shook his head.

“Something’s wrong,” Connor mumbled.

He looked outside again. He couldn’t see anything wrong, though, which bothered him. Something was clearly amiss, but he just couldn’t discover it. His gut was telling him to get out of there, to run with Bella as far as he could go.

“You feel it too?” Kara asked.

Connor glanced over at Kara, giving a shaky breath. He nodded. Kara pressed her lips together, folding her arms.

“I just…” Kara sighed, “I want to keep the girls in a place where they feel safe, you know?”

Connor pressed his lips together.

“There has to be another option,” Connor grumbled.

The three androids stood in silence, thankful that the girls were fast asleep. The waiting was making it almost worse for Connor; The more time they wasted, the more time it could take from their escape. 

“Canada.” Kara spoke up, “Alice and I were going to head up to Canada before we got here.”

Connor’s brow creased.

“There are no android laws.” Kara explained, “Meaning we can live and be free.”

Connor stared down at his hand. He didn’t look like Kara. He wasn’t sure how he could get up there.

“Would they accept someone who looks like me?” Connor asked her.

Kara opened her mouth to speak but fell silent.

“Either way, if you feel it’s not safe, we have to go.” Luther told the two of them, “I can carry the girls.”

Connor nodded, turning to Bella. He gently shook her awake. Bella grumbled, trying to turn over and fall back asleep.

“Bella,” Connor whispered, “Please wake up. We have to go.”

“Go where?” Bella’s groggy voice came out from the pillows.

“It’s not safe here.” Connor told her, “We’re going to find somewhere else to stay.”

Bella looked up at Connor, pressing her lips together. She nodded. Connor helped her out of bed, grabbing one of the spare blankets and wrapping it around her. Luther picked up Alice and Bella, both wrapped in their own blankets. Connor picked up the bags Bella had brought, nodding to Kara.

The three of them made their way through the building as silently as they could. No other androids seemed to notice them. All was well for now, thankfully, as they reached the first floor.

Police sirens began to blare from outside. They were rapidly approaching the house, the red and blue flashing lights illuminating the front of the house.

“Come on!” Kara called out, running towards the back of the house.

Connor followed her, hearing people beginning to bang on the door.

“Detroit Police! Open up!” A voice called within.

Kara, Luther, and Connor went into the backyard, shutting the door. Connor scanned to see if there were any humans near them. The officers were beginning to make their way over to the back of the house.

“Kara,” Connor hissed, “They’re coming towards the back.”

Kara nodded, dragging a box over to the side of the fence. She got Luther up and over first. Connor and Kara followed at the same time.

“Shouldn’t we warn them?” Alice asked.

“There’s no time, Alice.” Kara told her, “I’m sure they’ve woken up by now.”

Connor had a bit of difficulty keeping up with Kara and Luther. He hadn't run like this before; he'd never had to go at almost a full sprint at all. He also hadn't run a check on his systems before running, either, so he wasn't sure if everything was working properly. It was a frightening thought, to break down mid-escape from the police who were trying to capture them. Still, Connor kept his mind focused on where Kara was running, despite her pulling away from him.

Kara rounded the next corner, a few feet before he was coming up to it. Connor began to panic a little, trying to push himself to run faster. He skidded around the corner, trying to catch his balance. He nearly toppled over. When Connor glanced up, no one was around. He paused for a moment, looking around nervously. He took a deep breath, preparing his scanner.

**WARNING! LOW BATTERY. SCANNER TEMPORARILY DISABLED.**

Connor took a shaky breath. He’d never thought to check what his battery was at, though it didn’t make sense. When he was resting, he should be charging. Should, of course, is the ideal word for it. Connor took a deep breath, clenching his fists.

“Kara?” He asked.

He wasn’t being loud, but he wasn’t whispering. It was a state in-between. Connor had a feeling she wouldn’t hear him. Connor heard a bottle roll against the pavement behind him. He whipped around, half hoping to see Kara there beckoning him.

Instead, he came face-to-face with a scruffy old man who looked like he desperately either needed a week-long nap or a shower. Connor wasn’t sure which one would help more. The man held a revolver down in front of him, pointing to the ground. Connor was at least grateful it wasn’t pointed up at him. The man gained a pained expression as he watched Connor.

“If you don’t go now,” The man spoke softly, “The others will come lookin’ for you.”

“Others?” Connor asked.

The man sighed and shook his head. He looked back up at Connor, a combination of emotions that Connor had a hard time identifying. 

“Other humans. Go, now!” The man snapped.

Connor stumbled backward at the man’s snap. The problem still remained, though; Connor had no idea where Kara, Luther, Bella, and Alice were. He turned around and picked a direction, which happened to be directly behind him. He began to run that direction.

**WARNING! BATTERY POWER LOW.** The error message blared again,  **ENTERING INTO POWER SAVE MODE.**

Connor’s legs became even slower. He grunted against it, trying to push himself even more. He strained his ears to listen for Kara or the others calling for him. He closed his eyes, hoping it would give him a better shot at reading it.

And then he was on his knees. He hadn’t realized his legs shut off until they collided roughly with the ground. He was going to enter into an emergency sleep mode. Connor closed his eyes. While he may be caught by the humans, at least Alice would be safe. He reminded himself of that as he blinked awake.

It seemed like only a second had passed, but Connor’s internal clock told him it was the morning, 9:00 am to be exact. He felt two wires plugged into the back of his neck, and a third plugged into his lower back. He was charging, thankfully. Connor glanced around the room. He was half expecting to see the basement he was all-too-familiar with. This, however, smelled of fresh floor polish and was disturbingly cold. The basement smelled most often of burning plastic or Thirium. Connor shivered against the cold air, eyes falling to the door in front of him.

It was the same one he’d walked out of barely a week ago. Connor’s mouth went dry as he heard a keycode being entered into it, the door opening. He shuddered against the rush of cold air, eyes falling to the Master. His face was red in anger. An assistant followed after him, nervously chattering away.

“But we can’t be certain it’s the android.” The assistant spoke up, “It has shown no signs of deviancy—.”

“No signs of deviancy?” The master echoed, mockingly, “It kidnapped my  _ daughter _ !”

The assistant flinched against the master’s words. They took a deep breath and stepped in front of the master.

“It shows no signs of deviancy.” The assistant repeated, “I ran the tests myself, several times. I’ve compared its results to those who have been returned with signs of deviancy. It has some characteristics in line with it, though as a whole this android is not deviant.”

Connor didn’t know what they were talking about. Deviancy. It sounded like something bad, and they definitely were portraying it as such.

“That’s not...possible.” The master shook his head, “The behavior it’s been displaying…”

“We were able to track it.” The assistant pointed out, “We’ve never been able to track a deviant before; something with becoming deviant deactivates their tracker.”

The master locked eyes with Connor, whose LED spun yellow. It flickered red intermittently, the longer the master stared at him. Connor was trying to figure out what the man was thinking, trying to predict the punishment he would receive before it was given to him. It was a difficult task.

“Disassemble it.” The master told the assistant, “I want to see everything.”

The assistant nodded. At first, Connor was confused by the phrasing. It was something bad, he was sure, but it didn’t make sense. Disassemble? Was that even possible?

Connor found his answer when the assistant moved to the monitor and typed something in. The machine stopped for a moment before it came back to life, starting with Connor’s legs. It began to methodically take the parts off, stripping Connor of his movement. Pain shot up from his legs as they were slowly taken apart, bit by bit. When he was left without them, the machine moved on.

“NO!” Connor spoke up.

The room froze. Connor hadn’t quite registered he had spoken, but he was too panicked to stop.

“Please! NO!” Connor screamed, “Don’t! Make it stop! I’ll take the garden again! Please!”

His pleading made no sense to him. He didn’t think the humans would listen. The machine did, however, stop halfway through taking apart his left arm. Connor shuddered, panting. He took the moment to blink the tears out of his eyes.

“The garden…?” The master echoed.

Connor shivered. He nodded. In the garden, he could at least talk to Amanda. He also hadn’t been there for long, and he always woke up from it. The master shook his head.

“You know what?” He turned to the assistant, “I have a different plan.”

The man’s tone should have set off alarm bells in Connor’s head. It didn’t. Instead, he sighed softly. He relaxed, closing his eyes. Perhaps there was some humanity left in the man.

Connor’s relief was shortlived, however, as the machine started up again. It continued to disassemble his arm, relentless. Connor shrieked in fear, as it began to take apart his other arm.

“No! No, please!” Connor begged, “Stop!”

The master stood up close to Connor, cupping his chin in his hands. The man gave Connor a wicked smile, wiping away the tears from Connor’s eyes.

“Stop screaming.” The man’s eyes became soft, “You’re going to be helping us, after all.”

Connor wanted to ask how. His body became rigid, though, as the machine moved to the paneling in the back of his head. Connor felt everything all of a sudden. He felt his own weight on the machine, felt the tears staining his cheeks. He felt their slight warmth slowly trickling out of his eyes. He could feel his eyes calibrating to create a clear image in front of him, he could feel his artificial tear ducts creating more tears. He felt them travel onto his eyes, making them far too moist. He felt the teardrop gather at his bottom eyelid, before his artificial eyelid muscle contracted, lowering his lid over it and causing the tears to slowly roll down his face.

Connor was hyper-aware of his breathing, now. His breaths were steady, despite his internal fear. He felt his lungs expand and contract with each breath, and he felt his thirium pump working. He could even feel the thirium circulating its way through his system.

“What are you doing to me?” Connor struggled to croak out.

The master didn’t answer. Connor felt himself get further and further away from himself, almost like he was flying around out of his own body. Soon, he wasn’t in the room he was born in. He wasn’t in the garden, either. He was just in a vast nothingness, staring out blankly in front of him.

And then it hit him. Too many voices at once, each screaming out and begging for help. Each voice pleading with their masters, some pleading with strangers. Others pleading with themselves, while some just pleaded to RA9. He felt everything, all at once. Connor’s body twitched and convulsed with each intense feeling, but they happened in all manner of places at the same time. Sometimes it was in his mouth like his teeth were being ripped from him one by one while it was also in his feet like his toes were being crushed. Then it would switch to his ears, a painful and powerful ringing. 

All Connor could do was scream, though he couldn’t hear his own voice over the cacophony of the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, that didn't last long. I'm not sure at the moment if I'm going to switch to Kara's POV for now, but we'll see. I would apologize, but this was more or less the plan from the beginning.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for all the comments and kudos! They mean so much to me as a writer, and I apologize for the delay. I've been a bit unfocused on this due to life happening, but it's nothing bad! I swear! :) I will update again soon, hopefully.


	10. NOV 9, 2038

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has mentions of rape. Just wanted to warn you before you read. It's not in detail, but still.

Markus sang a song. He wasn’t quite sure where he knew the song from, though, but it was helping the little android girl he was fixing stay calm. She hummed along, eyes closed. Her hand rested in Lucy’s, as Markus finished the final touches to her repair. The little girl was one of the lucky ones; people had been leaving supplies close to Jericho for the androids there to pick them up. No human got close enough to Jericho to compromise it’s location, thankfully.

Markus set aside the tool he was using, resting his hands on his legs. He smiled at the little girl.

“You should be all better now.” Markus told her, “How do you feel?”

The girl opened her eyes, staring up at Markus. She watched him for a little while, a smile creeping to her face shortly after.

“I feel better!” She beamed.

Markus smiled down at her as she got up. She hugged Markus, before darting over to some of the other android children. Markus sighed softly, leaning against his chair and glancing at Lucy.

Lucy’s mouth hung open as if she wanted to speak. She watched just past Markus, a combination of horror and shock in her eyes. Markus glanced behind him, not seeing anything out of the ordinary for Jericho.

“Lucy?” Markus asked softly, reaching out for her.

He liked to touch people, he found. At least, his people. Carl had been very hands-on with Markus, patting him and holding onto his hand whenever they talked. Markus never really felt like it was odd; most elderly people did that. He found, though, now that he was free and Carl was gone, that he’d picked up that small mannerism from him.

Lucy glanced to him, immediately pulling herself away from him. Markus blinked, watching as she stood upright and panted nervously.

“Are you alright?” Markus asked, a bit more urgent now, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine.” Lucy snapped when Markus took a step closer to her.

Lucy didn’t say anything else, she simply left him. Markus stared after her, confused.

“What’s wrong?” Simon asked.

Markus whipped around. He wasn’t expecting to hear Simon right behind him, considering the amount of damage he had to him. Markus threw his arms around Simon, relieved and excited to see his friend up and walking. Simon gave a nervous chuckle, patting Markus’s back. Eventually, Simon wiggled his way out of the hug, though, attempting to keep Markus at an arm’s length.

“Are you sure you should be up?” Markus asked, holding onto Simon’s shoulders.

“I’m fine. What’s wrong with Lucy?” Simon smiled.

“Oh.” Markus let his hands drop to his sides, turning around, “I have no idea. She got tense and then just...left.”

Simon sighed softly.

“Should we go after her?” Simon asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe she just needs to be alone?” Markus offered.

In truth, he didn’t know how to act around Lucy. He was deeply confused sometimes when Lucy spoke. She was saying something but meaning another thing most of the time, or sometimes her words seemed completely cryptic only to have their meaning come together later. He’d always seen her calm and collected, fully aware of her own movements and her own posture, though. Seeing her so startled and out of focus left Markus concerned, but her sudden retraction from Markus’s touch also worried him. Lucy normally didn’t mind Markus’s little touches, so why flinch from them?

Markus was dragged from his thoughts when Josh came into the room.

“Have you seen Joseph?” Josh asked.

“No. Why?” Markus asked.

Josh took a nervous breath, gesturing for Markus and Simon to follow him. The three of them marched up to their little watchtower, as Markus began seeing it as. It was the only building in Jericho that overlooked the main area, that everyone could see as well. It was also, strangely, one of the few places that the five of them could talk in peace. Most didn’t enter into that room when Markus, North, Josh, Simon, or Joseph were in there. It made Markus feel a little bad.

Josh had left the television on. The news anchor spoke on the other end.

“...Is this the start of a terrorist campaign, conducted right here in the United States?” The man asked.

Markus took a deep breath. Of course, the humans would see the demonstration as a threat. They always would.

_ People fear change, Markus _ . Carl’s voice told him.

Markus shook his head, trying to get Carl’s voice out of his head. It was jarring, to hear his words but not in the right order. Almost like Carl was still with him, still talking to him. Markus shivered at the thought; he would rather believe that Carl has gone to heaven like he often wondered to Markus when he had insomnia.

“That’s why.” Josh sighed, “I’m sure he’s found out by now if he didn’t know beforehand.”

Markus began to develop a headache as the news anchor went on.

“We reached out to CyberLife for comment, and here with us is Mr. Elijah Kamski himself to talk about this rising threat to our security.”

The camera became a split screen, with the news anchor on one side and Mr. Kamski on the other. Elijah sat calmly, his hands folded over his crossed legs. He seemed eerily calm about the situation, lip twitching at the mention of a threat. He kept his face mostly still, though, as he smiled into the camera.

“Thank you for having me.” He said.

“What do you know about deviancy, Mr. Kamski?” The reporter asked, “Will these terrorists pose a threat to our nation?”

“I’ll answer that question with another.” Mr. Kamski kept his voice even, “Why is it a threat to our nation when androids have become self-aware, and desire freedom?”

The reporter opened his mouth, stammering.

“These androids have made no threats to us directly.” Kamksi continued, ignoring the reporter’s stunned silence, “They have given us their message— which, might I say, was a beautifully inspiring speech— and they have demonstrated peacefully.”

Kamksi paused, only to lock eyes with the camera. Markus knew he was locking eyes with the reporter, but the man’s blue eyes bearing into him caused him to shiver.

“Mr. Kamski, these androids were designed to serve us.” The reporter spoke up, “You yourself promised they would serve us.”

“Ah.” Mr. Kamski chuckled, “Yes. The famous promise of CyberLife to provide everyone with an android to do the tasks no American wanted to. Yet, those were the promise of something that looked human and acted human, that wasn’t initially intended to be human. Yet, some gained the ability to think on their own. Should that, truly, be a crime? Is free will a disease?”

The reporter shifted in his seat.

“Can these machines rise up and kill us humans? Of course.” Kamski continued, “Though I—.”

“It’s not a matter of ‘could’ anymore, Mr. Kamski.” The reporter interrupted, “It’s  _ when _ .”

“The  _ when _ ,” Kamksi’s tone turned sharp, “is determined only by us. They have set their cards out on the table; they want equal rights, right to property, etc. for androids. They want androids to be treated as people. And they are willing to get there without violence. It’s up to us, now, to decide if we will listen or if we will retaliate with violence.”

“What would be the wise course of action then, Mr. Kamski?” The reporter seemed to be giving in.

“I suggest we listen.” Mr. Kamski said, “I suggest we open our minds to the idea that we are not alone anymore. I think we could live in peace with our androids being equal to us. Then again, it’s still taking us a while to treat each other with equality.”

Mr. Kamski paused, shifting his gaze from the anchor to directly at Markus, so he felt. Kamski gave a smile into the camera.

“I will say this; if androids are given their rights, CyberLife will be in full support of the androids.”

“That’s all the time we have for today. Up next; Myth or reality? Why some are calling the—.”

The TV shut off before the reporter could continue his tease of the next story. Markus glanced between Josh and Simon, expecting one of them to have shut off the television.

“What was that about?” Joseph demanded from the doorway.

Markus was dreading this since they came back early in the morning. Markus slowly turned to face Joseph, who practically trembled in anger. Markus prepared himself for the onslaught.

“I decided we would set our people free.” Markus told him, “We broke into five CyberLife stores and woke our people up. We made a peaceful demonstration in front of the CyberLife stores, demanding the same things as my speech.”

Joseph watched Markus, a fire burning behind his eyes. Markus could, on the one hand, understand why he was furious; this was supposed to be a group effort, and he had been left out of it. On the other, Markus was sure he would have caused more trouble, and he would have rather not had him and North on the same team. Or the two of them, quite frankly. Markus already felt antsy when they were close to each other.

“And you did this without even talking to me?” he asked.

“It was a spur of the moment idea.” Markus told him, “No real plan went into it.”

Markus wanted to look away from Joseph. He wanted to avert the burning fire behind the man’s eyes, to shield himself from the wrath that was to come. Markus knew, though that he had to stand his ground. Joseph was the one to avert his gaze, blinking as he stared angrily at the ground.

“You do realize this could come back to bite us?” Joseph asked.

“What should we have done?” Markus snapped, “Should we have simply killed any human we saw that night demanding our rights written in their blood?”

It was the first time Josh and Simon had heard Markus snap the way he did. It was the first time Markus had snapped that way, too. He was becoming sick and tired of Joseph’s angle. Joseph looked up at him, glaring. He didn’t seem bothered by the change in personality.

“Maybe we should have!” Joseph shouted, “At least maybe then we would have people’s attention!”

“If it wasn’t for these peaceful demonstrations we would still have to send people out to raid CyberLife Warehouses across Detroit!” Markus shouted back, “Our people would be  _ dying _ without these supplies! They would be  _ dying  _ in order to get the supplies! More and more of us are coming to Jericho each and every day. We need more than just us to keep it working!”

“Maybe they should die for the cause.” Joseph’s voice became strangely calm, “Then we would know who was truly dedicated to fighting for our freedom.”

“Enough!” It was North’s turn to shout.

Markus and Joseph glanced to North. She had entered the room through the other door, standing with her arms folded. Her eyes darted between Markus and Joseph. Markus felt his cheeks burn. He shouldn’t have lost his temper. He knew he shouldn’t have. It was just becoming harder and harder to stand by and let Joseph bully his way into power. It was getting harder and harder for Markus to talk calmly around him.

Markus remembered the feeling of his Thirium pump being ripped out. The cold, uncaring eyes that Joseph held as Markus begged to live. How Joseph had replaced his own Thirium pump and left him to die. Markus looked back up at Joseph now, seeing those same cold eyes now locked onto North.

He saw himself diving after Joseph, wailing on him. He saw himself punching the smug look off Joseph’s face as he turned back to Markus. Markus saw himself pulling the thirium pump out of his chest, leaving him to die just like he’d done to Markus. Instead of doing any of those things, Markus turned around.

“Oh, what?” Joseph snapped, “You get yelled at and you turn tail and run?”

Markus’s jaw clenched. It hurt, how tensely he locked it into place. He knew he was grinding his artificial teeth. Markus needed space, and he found himself storming out of Jericho.

He wasn’t sure exactly where he was going. He found himself up on a quiet rooftop, watching as the snow fell around him. It was quiet in this part of Detroit. The buildings were almost all abandoned now, except for the androids of course. There was a handful that Markus knew about, who was too nervous to live in Jericho. Others simply wanted to be close by in case they needed something but didn’t want to actually join Jericho.

Markus let the cold air calm him. He wanted to scream out into the sky, to let out all the pent up anger and frustration. It wouldn’t help anyone, though, and it would likely lead to Jericho being discovered. Or, someone would find him assuming he was in trouble. 

Markus turned away from the cityscape before him, finally deciding to look around the small room he’d found. Inside there was a piano, though Markus knew it would be out of tune. He sighed softly. It had felt like forever since he’d last played.

Markus brushed the chair off, setting it upright. He sat at the piano keys, testing some of them. Surprisingly, or miraculously, the keys weren’t quite out of tune. Markus sat for a moment, his hands resting on the keys.

_ I want you to paint something that you’ve never seen before. _ Carl’s words echoed in his mind.

Markus closed his eyes. He knew thousands of compositions by heart, due to the nature of his programming. Today, though, he wanted to play something out of his own heart. Something that’s never been heard before.

Markus’s hands began to tickle the keys. He played something frustrated, angry. Something that yearned to be heard yet was also scared. He wasn’t sure if he should speak or if he should stay quiet and let things unfold as they were. His doubts began to come through in the song he played, becoming fast-paced and panicked. 

He then thought of the little girl. If he hadn’t helped in starting this, she would likely have died on the street. Or she would have been sent to the junkyard. He didn’t catch her name, but she knew him. She trusted him enough to help patch her up when she was injured. Markus often helped Lucy in the infirmary, since there were so many people in Jericho. The melody became a hopeful yet somber one, Markus pouring his sadness for those they’d lost into it as well as his joy of seeing the others recover, of seeing how little things the humans did were starting to help them.

Markus stopped playing when he heard footsteps in the snow. He tensed his shoulders, ready for confrontation. It was Joseph, from what he’d guessed, here to poke and prod at him more.

“That was lovely.” North’s voice came from behind him.

Markus turned to look at her. He was surprised, but that surprise turned into a warm smile.

“Thank you.” Markus sighed, “It’s been a while since I’ve played.”

Markus sighed again, standing up from the piano. He didn’t really want to look at North, especially after the outburst from earlier. He instead moved out onto a small wooden ledge, sticking out from the main building. He stared out into the city, focused purely on that.

“I was wondering where you ran off to.” North approached him calmly.

“I just needed to be alone.” Markus sighed, “I’m...sorry.”

“For?” North feigned ignorance.

“My outburst at Joseph.” Markus sighed, “It was...It was inappropriate, and I should have controlled my temper better.”

“Maybe you should say that to Joseph, instead of me,” North suggested.

Markus scoffed without thinking. He winced shortly after, staring out at the city more. He closed his eyes, hoping beyond hope that North would just ignore it. She seemed to, as the pair stood in silence. They watched the skyline, almost peaceful.

“I like it here.” North interrupted that silence first, “I come here often when I need some peace. It’s like being alone with the world.”

Markus moved off of the platform. He avoided looking at North as he went to a chair, brushing some snow off of it. He sat down, as she began to speak again.

“We freed hundreds of our people, and they’re still coming from all around the city.”

Markus sighed. He didn’t want to have business talk right now.

“Those who dream of being free come to Jericho.” North gave a small smile, “Something’s changing.”

She paused as if waiting for a response. Markus didn’t want to give her one; he already  _ knew _ more people were coming. He was the one helping Lucy treat many of their injuries before they would meet the rest of Jericho. Most didn’t seem to recognize Markus as the one giving the speech at first, at least not until they saw his eyes up close or until he spoke. When he did either of those things, attitudes changed. He was being constantly reminded of the weight on his shoulders.

Granted, he didn’t have to bare it alone. He just  _ felt _ like he did, since everyone looked to  _ him _ for answers and not the others.

“You seem preoccupied.” North pointed out.

Markus glanced up at her.

“They count on me.” Markus sighed, “They count on me to lead the way, to show them the way, even.”

Markus felt tears welling in his eyes.

“They don’t know how lost I feel.”

The words left him, and he knew that was the feeling. It was an emptiness that had been eating away at him since Carl died. Carl was his responsibility, his charge. He was supposed to lead Carl into a healthier life. He’d failed to do so. Even if he’d broken through his programming, he still failed at doing the one thing he cared about. 

Markus took a shaky breath, wiping the tears that fell.

“You don’t look like you feel lost.” North stumbled over the sentence.

Markus gave a shaky laugh.

“I’m good at pretending, I guess.” He sniffled.

North hummed, moving to some boxes next to the chair. She sat down, staring at the piano.

“You haven’t talked much about your life before Jericho.” North pointed out, “Not since you’ve gotten here.”

Markus sighed.

“What about you?” He asked, “You haven’t talked about…”

Markus cut himself off. He rested his head in his hands.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, “That was...an outburst.”

North watched Markus for a bit before gently resting her hand on his shoulder.

“If you don’t want to talk, then don’t.” North told him, “I was curious.”

Markus took a shaky breath.

“I...lived with an old man. His name was Carl.” Markus started, “I loved him. He was like a father to me. He showed me that not all humans were as you and Joseph say they are; he encouraged me to think for myself, to do what  _ I  _ wanted to do. Of course, at the time, I didn’t appreciate that to the extent I do now.”

He took a pause. He felt North calmly rubbing circles along his back.

“I...One night, his son broke into his home…” Markus’s voice cracked, despite his attempts to control it, “He and I never got along. He saw me as his replacement. He often fought with his father because of me. They’re relationship got more  _ strained  _ because of me.”

Markus was trembling. He was trying, so desperately, to keep it all held within like he’d done before.

“That night, Carl ordered me to get him out. I’d called the police. Leo started punching me. Carl told me not to do anything.” Markus felt North hold him.

“You can stop.” North told him, “I won’t—.”

“I was  _ angry _ .” Markus couldn’t stop himself now, even if he wanted to, “I was so  _ angry _ . Why should I  _ not  _ be allowed to defend myself? Why should  _ I  _ stand there and take every hit? I broke down my wall. I was prepared to give Leo a taste of what this new freedom felt like. But then I heard Carl begging for Leo to stop. Telling him to leave. And I froze.”

Markus couldn’t stop the tears now, as North watched in confusion and concern.

“I froze up. Leo kept pushing me, hitting me. And I took it, like the android I was supposed to be. Carl fell out of his chair, clutching at his chest. He’d had a heart attack.” Markus sobbed, “I  _ failed  _ him. I wasn’t thinking of him. It was my fucking  _ job  _ to listen to him, to watch him, to take  _ care  _ of him. And I let him  _ die _ . I was so panicked that I didn’t  _ think  _ about getting what I kept in the house in case this happened. I just sat there, helpless. I watched him die.”

Markus leaned into North’s embrace. He would have kept talking, but he’d become reduced to a babbling mess. It was the first time that he’d truly cried over Carl’s death, except for when it first happened. When the man was barely cold. North sat there with him, holding him and stroking his back. She swayed calmly, back and forth. She said nothing, as she rubbed his back and let him cry into her shoulder.

When Markus finally settled down, he let North go. She kept a hold of him for a few minutes after his arms dropped from her. She sighed and let him go, locking eyes with him. Or, attempting to, since Markus kept avoiding her eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Markus mumbled, “That was...a lot to pile onto you…”

“Don’t apologize.” North told him, “It seemed like you needed this.”

“I didn’t want to tell you.” Markus admitted, “I just...couldn’t stop.”

She patted his arm, smiling.

“It’s okay.” She reassured him, “I’m a big girl.”

She wormed a small smile out of Markus with that line. She sighed, turning to look at the skyline.

“Before this, I was just a doll.” North spoke up, “Something the humans could use to satisfy their darkest fantasies with. A toy designed for their pleasure.”

Markus glanced at her. It was North’s turn to avoid looking at him.

“One day I was with a man who rented me.” North tried to look at Markus, “He wanted to…”

North choked up. She crossed her arms and shook her head.

“If you don’t want to tell me…” Markus began.

“He wanted me to mimic a girl he liked from work.” She blurted out, “He wanted me to fulfill some sick and twisted rape fantasy about her. And I realized in the middle of it I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Markus reached out to North. She stood up, arms still crossed tightly. She took a few shaky breaths, squeezing her eyes shut.

“I strangled him… and I ran away…” North managed to get it out, “And I…”

North turned sharply back to Markus.

“I never thought that a human could love us.” North told him, “That humans could see us as family. Hearing you, hearing your pain… I…”

North turned away from Markus again, this time to cover her mouth. Markus stood up, slowly, before reaching his hand out to her.

“If you’d like, I could show you.” Markus offered, “What it was like. To live with him.”

North watched Markus’s hand for a while. She took it, closing her eyes. Markus allowed her to access one of his favorite memories.

_ He sat in front of Carl, as they usually did when Carl took a break from his painting. Normally he would take Carl outside, wheeling him around his garden to help stir inspiration in the old man. It rained heavily today, though, and Carl didn’t feel like going outside. _

_ “So.” Carl sighed, “Have you played chess before?” _

_ “No, however, I can download the—.” Markus began. _

_ Carl held his hand in front of Markus, a signal for Markus to be quiet. Markus simply closed his mouth, watching the old man. _

_ “I’ll teach you.” Carl smiled. _

_ He spent the rest of the afternoon teaching Markus the rules of chess. Markus listened, eagerly, to what the old man was telling him. He had to, partially, since this was helping in stimulating the man’s mind and helping to keep it sharp. On the other hand, though, Markus deeply enjoyed these conversations and interactions with Carl.  _

_ Carl reached out and grabbed Markus’s wrist. The old man was able to stand up, much unlike the memory, and shove him down. Markus was helpless as Carl began to shift into someone he didn’t know. The man held danger in his eyes and a belt in his other hand. He chuckled angrily at him. Markus tried to cry out, cry for help, beg for someone to save him. His mouth was taped shut, though, and all he let out were muffled cries of distress. The man tied Markus’s wrists to the bedpost tightly, causing pain to shoot out of them. Markus screamed into the duck tape. _

_ “You’re so beautiful.” The man groaned. _

_ Markus wanted this to stop. He tried to plead with the man as the man slowly began to descend on top of him. _

Markus blinked, jumping back to reality. North pulled away from it, mouth slightly open. She had tears running down her face, and a gentle smile on her lips.

“He cared for you.” North mumbled, “He cared so much.”

Markus sighed softly, finally taking the time to breathe. She hadn’t seen what he’d seen, thankfully. Markus cleared his throat and nodded.

“Yeah.” He panted, “He did.”

“Are you okay?” North asked.

“I saw…” Markus coughed, “I saw what that man… What he did to you…”

Markus saw her expression change. It was a slight clenching of her jaw, a tensing of her posture. Subtle enough that if Markus hadn’t been watching her a moment before, he would have never noticed it.

“I’m sorry.” Markus spoke up, “I shouldn’t have…”

North took a shaky breath, locking eyes with Markus. He wanted to talk more, but his mouth clamped shut.

“It’s….It’s okay.” North breathed, “I don’t think you were meaning to.”

She blinked a few times before nodding and darting away. Markus would have called after her, but he imagined she needed space after that ordeal. Markus found that he was tired, moving to the chair and sitting down again. He rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes.

“Hey, Markus.” Simon’s voice came next.

“Hey.” Markus sat upright, giving Simon a smile.

“North seemed really upset. Is she alright?” He asked.

“I hope she will be,” Markus mumbled.

Simon gave him a curious look before nodding. He sighed, folding his arms.

“Josh and I came up with a plan for tomorrow if you’re willing to hear it,” Simon told him.

“I’m all ears.” Markus smiled up at Simon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was really long, but we get some development! The next one isn't, sadly, but still. More stuff happening! I ultimately decided not to go into Kara's POV to keep some of the ~mystery~ alive. I'll post another update soon! I just wanted to get this chapter up :)


	11. NOV 10, 2038

North stood right beside Markus, shifting her weight nervously. She pressed her lips together, folding her arms. She tried to seem like she was calm at the moment, despite her nervous posture. She tried to seem like she was ignoring her nerves before she turned to Markus, dropping her arms to her sides.

“This is suicide.” North was speaking nervously, “Please, Markus! It’s not too late to change your mind.”

Markus glanced at her. He gave a soft smile. North’s posture changed, seeming to notice how nervous he was. Markus knew how badly this could end for all of them; the four of them were the only ones really leading the revolution peacefully, and if they were gone it would be just Joseph to start a war. Markus didn’t want to risk it, but he finally spoke up to North.

“I don’t think Josh  _ or  _ Simon would change their mind if I wanted them to.” Markus pointed out.

“ **We could have just let them go alone** .” North hissed to him, speaking to him through a private channel.

**The four of us have been making all of this work so far. It’s not fair to leave it all to Josh and Simon.** Markus replied,  **Besides, you were on board with this idea too.**

North pressed her lips together and sighed, shaking out her nerves. Josh and Simon had given a small presentation to North, Markus, and Joseph. Joseph had been excited about it. He had wanted to use this as a demonstration that showed Jericho was willing to use violence if necessary. Markus, of course, stood on the other end saying it should be about peace. 

North had surprised everyone at that moment by simply saying, “I think we should demonstrate.”

When Joseph had tried to press her on it more, she’d just shook her head. Markus knew better than to get involved too, but part of him was worried about it. Joseph was, naturally, angry about the lack of support. He stormed out to the rest of Jericho and gave a rousing speech. He called the others to support him at the start of a fight. Only a handful had agreed.

Joseph had stormed out, angry, and hadn’t been seen since. Even now, as Markus’s eyes scanned over the station, he couldn’t see Joseph. Markus saw other androids working or standing by their humans.

“If we convert them, our message will be stronger,” Simon spoke up.

“It should be a choice.” Markus shook his head.

“And just leave them blind?” Josh asked.

“It’s a choice.” Markus insisted, “A choice some are not ready or willing to make. Forcing it onto them will make us no better.”

Josh sighed, obviously irritated. Markus first moved over to one of the androids calmly sweeping just outside one of the small music stores. The android stopped, turning to Markus. Markus offered his hand.

“Do you wish to be free?” Markus asked.

The android’s eyes went wide, glancing between Markus’s hand and his eyes. The android nodded, nervously taking Markus’s hand. Markus helped him see the wall of code and helped him break it. The android gasped, giving a small smile. He set the broom aside, following after as Markus walked with the others. North broke off from the group to interact with a custodian android, giving a gentle smile and an offer for freedom. The custodian glanced back at the small group now forming, as the android Markus was converting split off to a home android. The custodian looked back at North, continuing with his work. She nodded, jogging back to Markus.

The security android came up. Markus prepared himself for a confrontation, but the android simply stood behind Markus. Markus gave him a nod, moving outside. The snow fell calmly as he stepped outside, people huddling close to the buildings to keep warm. One of them watched Markus as he exited the building. The man was a rich man by the looks of him, icy green eyes locked onto him.

“Yeah. How is it holding up?” The man asked on his phone.

Markus started to scan the street. He was trying to pick out the androids in the crowd. It was easier than he would have liked it.

“That’s...an interesting development.” The man on the phone sighed, “Bump it up to thirteen. I’m sure it will do just fine.”

**Those are all the androids we need to ask.** Markus spoke with his group,  **Remember; freedom is a** **_choice_ ** **. If they do not want to follow, don’t force them to break free.**

With a nod, the small group split up.

“Any sign of Bella?” The man asked.

Markus moved past the man, heading towards some androids unpacking boxes. A different man stood nearby, folding his arms and shifting his weight. 

“Ha! Finally.” This man was irritated, “I’ve been on hold for ten minutes!”

Markus jogged past him, first moving to the android in parking. The android glanced over at him as he approached, giving a small smile. The female android seemed stuck, as her LED spun red.

“Do you need help?” Markus asked her.

She gave a small nod. Markus placed a hand on her shoulder, helping her put the finishing touches on breaking down her wall. She sighed, smiling.

“Thank you.” She told him.

The android jogged to join some of the others. Markus turned to the package deliverers. One of them was frozen in place, mouth open slightly.

“You’re Markus.” He whispered.

“I am.”

“What can I do to help?” One of the others asked, now amazed.

“If you could help by blocking the road, I would appreciate it.” Markus smiled at him.

With a nod, the three androids finished putting the packages down and out of the truck. 

The irritated man on the phone came back into Markus’s hearing, “Like I told the last guy, my android won’t take instructions.”

Markus stopped then, as North began helping an android at the bus stop.

“Sure. Last night, I told it to do some cleaning, it told me ‘I would prefer not to.’” The man scoffed, “I want this android destroyed and I want a replacement.”

Markus’s heart practically stopped. He closed his eyes, knowing he should be focusing on the task at hand. He knew he shouldn’t do anything. Yet he opened his eyes and moved in front of the man. He gave the man a friendly smile.

“Did you, perhaps, ask why your android didn’t want to do work?” Markus asked.

“Hold on.” The man snapped into his phone, then locked eyes with Markus, “It’s supposed to listen to me. That’s what it was made for.”

“Things can change. You saw the speech.” Another person chimed in, “Maybe that android just wanted to talk to you.”

Markus blinked. He was prepared to make his own statement, but this random human stood next to him folding her arms.

“Do you have an android, ma’am?” The man snapped.

“I do.” The woman held her head high, “When he didn’t want to work, I asked him why. Maybe if you do, you’ll learn something.”

With that, the woman turned and left. The man paused and stammered. He turned away, hanging up the phone. Markus blinked after the woman.

“Come on, Markus,” North called over.

Markus jumped, nodding. When he turned back to the group, they were around ten androids. With the road blocked, Markus moved to the manhole and lifted it up. The other androids who wanted to participate in the protest came up from it. Markus stood upright, glancing around. Some humans watched in awe, while others in shock, as their androids, left their side to join the crowd. North stood next to Markus, giving him a small smile.

“So far so good.” Her anxiety seeped through in her voice.

“So far, so good.” Markus echoed.

He wanted to seem confident in front of her, but it was difficult. She noticed this, smiling. She took his hand with a sigh, looking towards the now-empty street. 

“Shall we?” She asked him.

Markus’s heart rate increased. Now that they were actually doing it, he had doubts. He didn’t want these people just blindly following him, possibly to their deaths. He wanted to turn around and tell them that they didn’t have to follow. Now, though, was not the time. He knew it wasn’t. Someone had to lead this. He didn’t want to do it alone.

And thankfully he wasn’t, he was reminded of that as North squeezed his hand. Their interaction the other day changed things, him being so vulnerable in front of her. They shared something deep and personal, giving way to a better understanding of each other. North’s memory haunted him, reminding him that not every human was like Carl, unlike he wanted to pretend they were. Markus hoped that his memory of Carl had shown her that while many humans were like the one she’d met, others would stand with them.

Markus took the first few steps. North kept pace with him, letting go of his hand. As the group slowly walked forward, many of the other androids in the street began to leave what they were doing and stand next to the group. It went from a small group of twenty to fifty. Then to seventy. With each slow, careful step more and more androids began to permeate the crowd.

“Look!” Josh pointed. 

Markus had only been counting the androids he saw. He saw a few humans walk with their android, joining into the crowd. He had a small moment of panic; what they were doing was illegal, since they hadn’t gotten a permit to protest. Since they weren’t human, Markus was fully prepared for it to end in a gunfight. He hacked into the billboards, displaying their logo. He tried not to pay much attention to the humans now coming with him. 

“We’re getting them on our side.” Josh told Markus, “This is good!”

“Let’s hope today doesn’t end with blood,” Markus mumbled.

They took a few more steps, more humans and androids joining them. A police drone flew over their heads, focusing strictly on Markus. Markus took a deep breath, continuing his walk.

“Hey!” An officer stood in front of the group, “Disperse!”

Markus ignored him, walking with his group closer. Josh and Simon wanted to carry out this mission, and he had to stand next to them. They pressed on, just as determined as he was. North was the only one who still had an unsure air about her, glancing nervously at Markus.

“Disperse Immediately!” The officer demanded, reaching for his weapon.

Markus stopped when the officer pointed his gun.

“That’s an order!” The man shouted.

Wordlessly, Markus simply raided his hands. Josh, Simon, and North were the ones to follow immediately after. Then, from what Markus could tell based off of the reflections of the glass, the entire crowd had raised their hands. Markus stood, eyes locking with the officer now. His posture faltered, as he shifted his weight back and forth.

“Jesus…” The officer whispered, lowering his gun.

He nervously stepped to the side. When he was out of the way, Markus gave him a smile.

“Dispatch, this is patrol 457…” The man spoke into his radio, “I got a lotta androids down here…I dunno...hundreds?”

Markus approached the officer calmly, offering a smile. The man tensed up.

“There were two officers the other night.” Markus told him, “When the CyberLife stores were hit. How are they? Were they injured?”

The officer seemed to want to return to his radio before he straightened up. He coughed slightly.

“Officer Davis was in shock. Went back home to his wife and kid.” The officer told Markus, “The other’s doing just fine.”

Markus nodded, taking a soft sigh.

“Thank you,” Markus told him.

Markus walked back to the others, as the officer spoke into his radio, “They’re marching peacefully.”

“Liberty for androids!” North shouted.

Markus turned to her. She was walking taller now, a small smile on her face. The crowd began to chant what she’d shouted, some raising their fists in the air. He had never seen North this relaxed and happy, except for when they were going to break into the CyberLife store. Even then, she’d been tense. Markus saved this image of her to his memory. Something to paint later, if he ever could when all of this was over.

Markus missed the texture of paint. He’d loved it when Carl asked him to paint something. At first, he didn’t know what he’d wanted to paint when he’d closed his eyes. It had to be something he hadn’t seen before. At the moment, a fuzzy image came to him. His hand reaching out to the hand of a skinless android. There was weight attached to the image, Markus was sure of it. He just couldn’t remember what it was. He’d painted it, hoping it would strike something. When he’d looked back at it, though, there was nothing. 

“Liberty for androids!” Markus joined in the chant, turning his attention away from North.

They walked for a few more paces, the voices echoing off of the buildings. The street fell into an eerie silence, that was only broken by the sounds of feet on snow and chanting. 

“We are alive!” Markus changed the chant after a few buildings.

It took them a bit to all get-together, but soon the street was filled with the chant. Humans and androids still piled into the ranks, chanting. Some simply stood on the sidewalk, clapping to the chant.

“Set us free!” Josh shouted.

It should have gone smoothly after that. Markus had wanted it to. His hopes were slowly diminishing as several police vehicles pulled up to them. Men with guns came running out, preparing to fire. Markus stopped walking. A helicopter whirred overhead. Markus saw more armored cars blocking the other pathway. His heart sank. He’d wanted to believe Josh and Simon, that this protest would turn people’s hearts. He watched as SWAT officers took position, ready to fire on the crowd at an order.

Josh and Simon approached them. Markus had to jog a bit to catch up to them, as did North. The group followed, stopping a few feet away from the SWAT officers.

“We came here to demonstrate peacefully,” Markus spoke up, “And tell humans that we are living beings. All we want is to live free.”

“This is an illegal gathering. Disperse immediately or we will open fire.” The officer responded.

“We’re not looking for confrontation!” Josh spoke up, “We’ve done no harm, and have no intention of doing any!”

Markus glanced at Josh. He’d hoped Josh would read it as a warning. Instead, Simon spoke up.

“Know that we are not going anywhere until we have secured our freedom.”

“Josh, Simon!” Markus hissed, “There are humans—.”

“I repeat; this is an illegal gathering. If you do not disperse immediately, we will shoot!”

“They’re gonna kill us.” North, the voice of reason it seemed, spoke up, “We have to do something.”

“Like what? Attack?” Josh asked, “If we do that, we’ll start a war. We have to show them we’re not violent. We should just stand our ground, even if it means dying here.”

“And what about the humans?” Markus asked, “We have hundreds of humans with us. Should we just let them die, too?”

One of the soldiers with a riot shield dropped to his knees. A man with a gun came up behind him, pointing it at the crowd. Markus felt a hand touch his arm.

“We’ll follow you.” A woman spoke up.

Markus glanced back at an older woman. She had a friendly smile. He knew immediately that she was human.

“Sometimes blood has to be spilled in the name of peace.” She shrugged, “This isn’t my first illegal protest, but I’ll be damn proud if it’s my last.”

“This is your last chance! Disperse immediately or you will all be killed!”

With a heavy sigh, Markus closed his eyes. He gave a nervous chuckle, before opening them again.

“Even if I gave the order to run, you two would still stay, right?” Markus asked Josh and Simon.

The two of them stared in awe.

“And that would divide us. Which would mean more of us could die.” Markus stood firm, raising his head, “So we will stay right here.”

There were only a few seconds before gunshots rang out. Markus tried not to look back, but he heard the sounds of his people being shot. They would tumble to the ground. Markus pressed his lips together.

“Disperse! This is your last chance!” The officer shouted.

Markus took a deep breath. He heard androids shuffling forward, glancing back. The androids, either out of instinct or choice, shuffled in front of the humans. They were acting as physical shields to make sure no human was hurt. Markus felt a few bullets pierce him as more shots rang out. He turned back to the police, to avoid staring at the androids willingly giving their lives. As the shots continued, Markus knew they were running out of time. The humans were, of course, stubborn. They refused to move, even when bullets would be whizzing past their head.

Markus thought of Carl. How he’d stood there and let the old man die, without doing anything. How he’d been in so much shock that he couldn’t do anything. Markus took a slow breath, glancing to North.

“Don’t let Joseph fuck all this up,” Markus told her.

Before North could say anything in retaliation, Markus stepped forward. He approached the officers, to draw attention away from those in the crowd. He’d hoped that the others would take this as their signal to run. He stopped after about ten steps, taking a shaky breath.

Markus thought about saying something. He thought about telling the officers something that would stick with them. He decided on what he was going to say, as a bullet pierced him in the chest. The pain shot out from the wound, as he stumbled backward. Markus grunted as he fell. It hadn’t damaged his Thirium Pump, but it had pierced a major artery and lodged itself in his lung. The thing keeping his system cool. He gasped for breath, staring up at the snow as it fell. He only had a few minutes left, if he was lucky. 

As Markus blinked, he saw someone rush forward. The person began to beat the officers, trying to fight them off to get them away from him.

“John…?” The name came slowly to him. 

It was, in fact, John. The android he’d helped free when they infiltrated CyberLife warehouses. The android was failing in defending Markus, though, as the officers pulled out their clubs. Markus felt someone grab onto him, dragging him backward.

“No…” Markus tried to fight back, “He needs help…”

The person ignored him, hauling Markus to his feet. Markus watched, helplessly, as John’s head was bashed in.

“NO!” Was all Markus could scream, as an officer put a bullet into John’s head. 

Markus felt numb as they began to retreat. Bodies lay scattered in the street. There were puddles of blue and red, some mixing to create an awful purple color. Markus felt sick as he saw some humans lying among the dead. He was helpless to protect them, just like he was with Carl. Him stepping out like that had meant nothing. 

It was a hassle to make it back to Jericho. There was no time to weed out who was human and who was android, leading to a particularly slow journey. Eventually, though, those who hadn’t died in the protest filed into Jericho.

Markus, by this point, was being practically carried by the person holding onto him. He was weak, having almost bled out. North had come onto his other side when they reached Jericho, helping to lift him up.

“Follow me.” North told the man on Markus’s left, “We’ll take him to Lucy.”

Markus wanted to say something. He kept his mouth shut, though, his mind focusing on how John had looked at him. John, the android who had picked his own name shortly after arriving at Jericho. Who had been passionately following Markus’s word, the most vocal when Markus spoke to them. Gone.

“It’s my fault.” Markus croaked, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s no one’s fault, Markus,” North told him.

She helped lay him down, as he groaned. Markus finally got a look at the person who helped him. The man had a small red streak on his cheek, likely from a bullet grazing him. The man shivered against the cold, giving Markus a smile.

“North…” Markus was feeling even weaker now that he was lying down, “Please...get...the…”

He felt too dizzy to finish. North simply shook his shoulder, giving him a small burst of energy.

“Come on, stay awake,” North whispered to him.

Markus sighed, closing his mouth. He vaguely heard Josh and Simon barking orders to the others. The last thing Markus saw was Joseph stepping up, asking what had happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm updating again this week because I actually am ahead of my set schedule for writing chapters! I'm not sure when I'll update next, but it'll hopefully be sometime next week or sooner if I keep at my current pace.


	12. NOV 24, 2038

Markus groaned. His side, his shin, his chest, and his thigh hurt. He didn’t want to open his eyes, but he forced them open anyway. The first thing Markus saw was North, sitting beside him. Her hand rested on the side of his bed, close to his but not touching him. She was awake, though her eyes were focused elsewhere. Markus followed her eyes, blinking groggily. He lay on a cot in an abandoned church, not Jericho. The androids that were here looked dejected. Markus’s eyes fell to Josh, Simon, and Joseph standing nearby.

“And we have to fight!” Joseph snapped, “It’s the only thing they’ll listen to now.”

“At what cost?” Simon insisted, “We’ve already lost so many…”

“The humans are building camps and sending our people there to be destroyed.” Joseph shook his head, “All because _you_ four decided to get humans killed!”

“That’s not what happened!” Josh snapped back, “We were hosting a peaceful protest! The police opened fire!”

“And humans got killed.” Joseph sighed, “The media blames us.”

“Most other humans don’t! It’s sparked mass protests around Detroit!” Simon insisted.

“And our people are still being slaughtered because of your actions.”

Markus sighed softly. He wanted to keep lying down. Markus clenched his jaw as he tried to struggle to his feet. North’s hand shot up from next to his to own his chest in a matter of seconds.

“Lay down.” North told him, “They’ve been arguing like this for hours.”

“Someone has to tell them to calm down.” Markus sighed.

“It shouldn’t be you. Your voice won’t help things.” North smiled softly.

Markus wanted to argue with her on it, but he closed his mouth. She was right; his voice was the _last_ thing needed in that debate. Markus saw an android huddled to himself in the corner, like a lost puppy. Normally he wouldn’t have been able to tell if the android’s hat was covering his LED. He clutched it in his hands like it was the only thing that would protect him.

“Who is he?” Markus nudged his head towards the android.

“That’s the android that warned us about an attack on Jericho.” North sighed, “You’re lucky you were out for it. “

“I don’t feel lucky.” Markus sighed.

North gave him a look before she glanced back over to the android. He was now standing upright, approaching the two of them. Markus moved to sit up, earning himself another warning glance from North.

“Are you okay?” The android asked.

“I will be,” Markus grunted.

The android gave him a nervous smile.

“I’m...sorry.” He said.

“For what?” Markus rubbed his forehead.

He could still hear Josh, Simon, and Joseph in a heated argument. It was beginning to give him a headache, with how they just talked in circles. If someone didn’t stop their arguments, Markus decided he was going to when he was standing.

“I...was the one who called for an attack on Jericho.” The android winced, “I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“You were working with the police?” Markus looked up at him.

The android’s icy blue eyes normally looked as if they would be cold. Calculating. Ruthless. At this moment, though, they held remorse. He looked away from Markus, trying not to keep eye contact with him.

“It’s okay.” Markus smiled at him, heaving himself up, “You stood with your people in the end.”

The android watched Markus with wide eyes.

“Joseph wanted me to leave.” The android said.

Markus rolled his eyes.

“Joseph isn’t the only one in charge.” Markus gave the android a pat on the shoulder.

Markus used the pat on the android’s shoulder to partially propel him forward. He hobbled towards Joseph, Josh, and Simon. Their argument only grew more intense when Markus came to a stop.

"Things could be ten times worse." Josh growled, "For all we know your self-righteous attitude about all this could have gotten us killed."

Joseph was about to make a response.

"Please, enough." Markus spoke up, "Take a moment to clear your heads. Then talk."

Josh and Simon watched Markus with wide eyes before nodding. Joseph simply glared.

“Then they haven’t told you about the camps?” Joseph snapped.

“What camps?” Markus felt his blood run cold.

Joseph scoffed, folding his arms and rolling his eyes.

“Typical.” He spat, “The other leaders don’t want you knowing something that’ll change your tune.”

“That’s not true,” North spoke up.

Markus jumped slightly. He didn’t hear her come up to them.

“He just woke up. I was going to tell him after he adjusted.” North folded her arms, “But go ahead, since you seem so eager.”

Joseph glared at North for a few seconds before he turned back to Markus.

“The government deemed us a threat to national security after six humans were killed in our protest, and fifteen others wounded.” Joseph spat, “They’re setting up camps all across Detroit where citizens are encouraged to bring their androids in for destruction.”

“How many are operational?” Markus glanced to North.

“Only two so far.” North folded her arms, “Humans have been stalling on the other three that are going to be made.”

Markus let out a shaky breath, closing his eyes. He couldn’t let this happen, not without doing something about it.

“Are we still in contact with the humans from the protest, those who were alive and uninjured?” Markus asked, “Or the ones that helped us in Jericho?”

North shook her head. An android woman with blue hair came jogging up to North shortly after the conversation, a smile on her face.

“What’s up, Echo?” North asked.

“We found them.” Echo answered, almost jumping in excitement, “Ripple is currently going to be staying with them to keep a line of communication back and forth.”

North smiled and patted Echo’s shoulder.

“Good work.” She smiled.

Markus glanced between them, confused. North glanced back to Markus, smiling.

“We do have communication with the humans again,” North told him.

Markus smiled softly at North. She slipped her hand into his in response. Markus turned to face Joseph, Simon, and Josh.

“The three of you still need to go clear your heads.” Markus told them, “Then when that’s all done, we can regroup and discuss what needs to be done.”

Joseph opened his mouth to protest, being silenced by North’s glare. He pressed his lips together like a stubborn child, before turning on his heels and storming off. Josh and Simon each went a different direction, choosing to stay away from each other. 

Markus sighed, feeling exhausted suddenly. North slipped her hand around his waist, helping his arm move around her shoulder. She half-dragged Markus back to where he was resting, gently lowering him to the bed. Markus checked his battery levels; they were low since his body was working overtime to repair the damage he suffered.

“You’re looking tired.” North sighed.

“I am.” Markus chuckled, “I need to recharge.”

North gave him a nod, standing up and walking away. Markus yawned, relaxing into the cot he had. North came back after a few minutes, dragging an old charger up to him.

“It’s clunky, but it’ll work.” North sighed.

Markus helped her lift his shirt up, peeling the skin away from his spine. She plugged in the charger. Markus gasped at the sudden burst of energy. He soon relaxed, allowing his body to use the new energy to help him repair himself. Markus found himself glancing around at the injured. They were being tended to by caretaker androids of various kinds. Markus tried to find Lucy among the crowd, but he couldn’t.

“Where’s Lucy?” Markus asked.

“She left before the attack.” North explained, “She said there was something she needed to do. I’m not sure what it was.”

“Did anyone see where she was going?” Markus asked.

“No.” North frowned, “She just vanished. I had people try to follow her, but…”

North sighed and rubbed her forehead.

“I don’t envy you.” North chuckled, “Trying to wrangle the androids together and keep Joseph, Josh, and Simon from fighting is no small feat.”

Markus smiled.

“You seem to have done a good job at it.” Markus pointed out.

“I’m...trying.” North sighed, “I’m trying really hard not to let my personal issues interfere with what’s best for our people. You make it look so easy.”

“It’s not. I’m constantly worrying about the power I have, and how I can diffuse it as much as possible.”

“I keep thinking about Carl.” North changed the subject, “I keep thinking about how kind he was, and how much he taught you about humans.”

Markus sighed softly.

“I miss him.” Markus admitted, “I wish I could talk to him about this. I wish I could ask him for guidance about Joseph.”

North rubbed Markus’s shoulder. 

“If you like, after you recharge a bit, I could bring you to his grave.” North offered, “I...looked it up with the intention of visiting.”

Markus glanced to North, mouth opening slightly. His throat choked up, though, stopping him from saying anything. Tears welled up in his eyes, as he took a shaky breath.

“I would like that.” Markus finally spoke, “I would like that very much.”

North gently lifted Markus up, placing herself down where his head was. She let him rest on her lap, North gently stroking his face to soothe him. Markus couldn’t help letting a few of his tears fall from his eyes. 

_Markus sat in a loveseat. He had someone next to him, snuggled against him. They smelled like a pile of leaves in fall. Their hands were intertwined in his own, carefully rubbing each knuckle as they sat. It was home, Markus decided, as he stared at the pale hands. He subconsciously counted the moles dotting the other’s arms, trying to find a pattern among them. The android’s curly brown hair often got into Markus’s nose as he inhaled while he counted, though, making them both giggle. Markus smoothed out the other’s hair, trying to get it to lay away from where he was breathing._

_The door busted open. Markus jumped to his feet, as did the person sitting next to him. The person whipped around, looking at Markus with wide brown eyes. The android screamed out, pointing behind Markus. People grabbed Markus’s arms, holding them behind him and forcing him to his knees. He struggled against the humans as more flooded the room, grabbing onto the brown-haired android. He screamed, trying his best to tug free from them. Markus tried to call out for the android, but the name of the android came out like static. The android’s skin was removed from him, as something was plugged into the port in the back of Markus’s head._

_Numbly, he reached out. He had to try and grab onto the android. His memory was being wiped slowly. Markus felt tears falling down his cheeks._

_“Markus!” The android’s voice was corrupted, almost unbearable to listen to._

“Markus.” North shook his shoulder.

Markus jolted awake, staring out into the church. His body was covered in artificial sweat, as he struggled against the blanket that was wrapped around him. He was still in a slight panic; he had to save the mystery android before it was too late.

Markus blinked, eventually stelling down. He wasn’t wherever he was in his dream. North’s touch helped him. He eventually signed, looking up at North. North smiled down at him.

“Bad dream?” North asked.

“I don’t know…” Markus mumbled, “I don’t know if we can dream…”

The two fell into silence. It was silent for only a few minutes before Markus sat up, charged enough to pull the charger out. Once it was out, North tossed him a new jacket.

“I’ll guide you to Carl’s grave now,” North told him.

Markus followed North silently as she led the way through the graveyard. She had insisted on him trading out the look he’d had when they’d protested, despite Markus insisting it was fine. The graveyard was quiet, the crickets chirping filling the silence. Markus slowed to a stop at the row Carl was buried in. North looked at him, brows creased.

Leo stood over the grave. He held flowers limply at his side, simply staring down at the grave. He was showing signs of frostnip on his fingers and nose, though it didn’t seem to bother him. Markus saw how Leo’s cheeks were stained with tears.

Markus took a shaky breath and made a few slow steps forward. Leo didn’t look up. He didn’t move. Markus approached him more, cautiously. As if he were a wild animal. Markus’s heart was in his ears when he finally got close to Leo, close to the tombstone.

Markus ran a scan on Leo. He was slightly malnourished and dehydrated. He had slight frostnip that would go away if he got someplace warm. He wasn’t wearing nearly enough layers for the temperature, though, and he would be cutting things close. His eyes were distant.

“Leo,” Markus spoke up first, gentle.

Leo glanced over to him. Markus had his hands hovering over Leo’s shoulders, ready to pull him into a hug. Or help guide him away. Something. He was frozen in place now, wondering if it was a good idea. Leo wiped his eyes, turning to face Markus.

“This is _your_ fault.” Leo sobbed.

Leo threw a few weak punches towards Markus. Markus was able to easily block or maneuver around the punches, though, wondering if it would end up in another fight between them. Leo eventually stumbled forward, landing roughly into Markus’s chest. He buried his face into Markus’s shoulder, sobbing.”

“It’s all your fault…” Leo continued, “It’s...your fault...he…That I…”

Markus stood there, stunned, for a moment. He slowly wrapped his arms around the crying human, though. He stroked Leo’s back, only causing him to sob harder.

“It’s okay, Leo.” Markus soothed, “Let it out.”

Markus held Leo tightly for several minutes. Markus even increased his own body temperature to allow Leo to warm up a bit, as he swayed gently from side to side. Leo’s sobs eventually quieted down, despite him staying in Markus’s arms for a bit longer. Markus didn’t care, as he continued to soothe Leo.

“I’m sorry.” Leo eventually broke the silence, “I didn’t… I…”

“You don’t have to say anything else, Leo.” Markus told him, “I forgive you.”

Leo scoffed.

“So easily? I doubt it.” Leo sniffled, adjusting out of the hug, “I think you’re just saying that.”

Markus held Leo’s shoulders, searching his eyes.

“Have you been using it again?” Markus asked him.

Leo shook his head.

“I didn’t know what happened to Dad at first…” Leo wiped at fresh tears, “I thought Dad just passed out. Then cops busted in with guns, and… I saw the chance to take you down. To make me feel like I didn’t have to compete with you anymore. I thought things would magically turn back to normal, back before Dad was in a wheelchair.”

Leo took a shaky breath.

“You… fell. You twitched and didn’t get back up. The police checked Dad. They said he was dead.” Leo wiped more of his tears away.

Markus reached out for Leo again, trying to pull him back into a hug. Leo pushed Markus away.

“I thought about telling them to leave you.” Leo sobbed, “So you could fix Carl. Instead, I let them carry you away. I was so _alone_. The drugs only made it worse. I should have listened to myself and done what I wanted to. I should have listened to the voice telling me to stop provoking you, to stop provoking Dad. But I didn’t. And in the end, I’m only capable of blaming someone else because I don’t want to be responsible for Dad’s death!”

Leo was shouting those last parts, as he sank to his knees. Markus knelt in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I just miss him.” Leo whispered, “I miss him so much.”

“I do, too.” Markus told him, “I miss him so, so much. And it hurts, knowing that I could have helped stop him from dying. Carl wouldn’t have wanted us wallowing in guilt, though. He would want us to find our footing, to live. I know that much.”

Leo looked up at Markus.

“Carl loved us both.” Markus continued, “He loved us both equally. I’m sure he regretted making you feel like you had to compete with me. I know that if he were around right now, he’d be mending the gap you’d built with each other.”

Leo sniffled and wiped his eyes, giving Markus a smile.

“Yeah.” Leo nodded, “He would.”

Markus got up to his feet slowly, helping Leo up as well. Leo held onto Markus’s hand for a while, before taking a deep breath.

“You’re...leading a revolution, thing, right?” Leo asked, “I’ve only been able to pay attention to so many things at once.”

Markus nodded.

“Let me help.” Leo gained a determined look in his eyes, “To help me say ‘I’m sorry’ all those times I hurt you.”

Markus wanted to turn him down. He wanted to tell Leo to focus on himself at the moment, to get himself in better shape. However, currently, he needed as many human allies as he could spare.

“I would appreciate the help, Leo.” Markus smiled, “But if you need to step away and work on improving yourself…”

Leo scoffed.

“I got all of Dad’s stuff. All his money, too.” Leo scratched at the back of his head, “I’d just… I know I won’t work on myself. I’d just bury my emotions in drugs. Like always. I’d rather use Dad’s wealth and influence to help you.”

Markus shook Leo’s hand.

“You deserve it more than I do, anyway,” Leo mumbled.

Markus gave Leo a gentle tap on the head, mimicking a slap. Leo blinked.

“You deserve it.” Markus told him, “Just as much as I would.”

Leo took a shaky breath, nodding.

“Well, I was gonna suggest to some of the other rich people Dad knew— I guess they’re my new circle— to join up with some of the others who are planning a protest in front of one of the detention centers.”

“Which one are they going to?” Markus asked.

“It’s...one that’s in the lower part of town. Not really close to here.” Leo tried to remember, “There’s…”

“It’s over by where Jericho used to be.” North clarified, “I know that one.”

Leo glanced over to North. He didn’t seem to have noticed her before and gave an awkward cough.

“Y-yeah. That one.” He shifted his weight, “I don’t know about the other one.”

“You still have my phone number, right?” Markus asked.

Leo nodded, brows creasing in confusion.

“Good. We’ll keep in contact with you, and possibly send you off with stuff to get the protest going.” Markus smiled, “We’ll handle the other one.”

“You sure?” Leo asked.

“I think this is the only way. If our voices are united, maybe we can convince them to listen to us.” Markus nodded.

Leo watched Markus for a bit before chuckling softly.

“Dad and I had a conversation before I started using again. He told me, ‘When the world falls into darkness, some men have the courage to lead it out. You are one of those men; don’t let your addiction take that from you.’” Leo mumbled.

“He was right.” Markus told him, “Carl often gushed about how kind and brave you were growing up. Your life wasn’t easy, and you always managed to pull Carl out of dark places he found himself in. I think he regretted what he did to you the most.”

Leo nodded, giving Markus one last smile.

“I’ll be going. Call me when you can.” Leo waved.

Markus half wanted to take him back to Jericho. He wanted to keep Leo at his side, to help him recover from what he’d lived through. Markus knew that it would be a bad situation, considering what the androids had just been through. It would be better and wiser to leave him to organize the human side of things, while Markus helped with the others in charge to deal with the android side of this revolution.

After Leo disappeared into the snow, North placed a hand on his back.

“I know that wasn’t easy.” North told him, “But you did the right thing.”

“Let’s get back to the church.” Markus smiled at her, “We’ve got plans. And...thank you for saying that.”

With an overdramatic bow, North walked alongside Markus back towards the church.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter earlier, but then decided to re-write it. Hence why this isn't as soon as I thought it'd be. Thank you all for your amazing support (the kudos and the comments), it means a lot to me! I'll update again soon, I promise.


	13. NOV 25, 2038

Markus took a shaky breath as helicopters flew overhead and trucks raced around them. Markus couldn’t help but worry about what the mystery android’s plans were since he insisted on going into CyberLife Tower and waking up the androids made there. Was he facing the same trouble that they were, or was he doing just fine? It would be impossible for Markus to know. People with large guns pointed them at him, ready to take fire. Markus shivered as the snow fell around him, a slight tremble in his hand. North grasped it firmly, squeezing it.

“We either die here, or our people go free,” North reassured him.

Markus took a step forward, North at his side. They faced the largest camp of the two currently set up, with the most guards standing in front of it. The humans had wanted to protest at that one, but Markus couldn’t bear the thought of losing Leo. Not after what they’d talked about. Nor could he sit by and let more humans die, staining their protest more. It wasn’t fair, by any means, but keeping the supportive humans alive was Markus’s priority.

They came to a stop in the middle of an intersection. It reminded Markus of the one they stopped in when he’d almost died. North squeezed his hand again.

“Surrender immediately or we will open fire.” An officer called to them.

The resemblance made Markus shiver. It wasn’t the same man, but the tone was almost the exact same. He pressed on, though, encouraged by the people behind him and by North, whose calm expression and an occasional squeeze of his hand helped ground him. They all stopped several feet away from the barricade.

“We don’t want confrontation!” Markus called to the soldiers, “We are protesting peacefully.”

“I repeat surrender now or we will open fire!” The soldier snapped.

Markus sighed softly. Of course, it would end up the same as the last protest he was in. This time, though, a truck came from behind and blocked some of their people from joining the rest. It also meant they would be wiped out if the military opened fire.

“There’s no turning back now.” Joseph mumbled, “I hope you have a plan B.”

Markus only spared him a glance before he scanned the members of the military.

“We ask that you release all androids detained in these two camps and cease all aggression against us.” Markus spoke calmly, “We are peaceful; we will not resort to violence. But we are not leaving until our people are free.”

Markus stood tall with those words. He squeezed North’s hand and took a step forward. He thought about dropping it, but he was far too nervous to. Every time he’d been at the mercy of a human with a gun, he had almost died because of them. Even if he wanted to be brave at the moment, he couldn’t. With North’s hand in his own, though, he found it a little easier to be brave. He took more steps forward, the androids behind him all stepping forward as well.

“Fire!” The man screamed.

Gunshots rang out. Markus tried not to look back, but he heard the sounds of people being shot. He heard androids grunting against the pain but pushing forward like he was. Markus prayed that no humans snuck their way into this crowd. He forced himself not to look back in order to keep himself from feeling the crushing guilt.

“Fire!”

More gunshots and more androids fell. Markus knew he’d been hit by a few bullets, thankfully not in any vital areas this time. They still hurt, though, and caused him to stagger back more than once. Markus heard bodies hitting the snow-covered pavement as he pushed ever forward. Tears began to well in his eyes; he knew they were afraid of death, but would stand by his side. 

Markus halted after the second round of gunshots stopped, getting down on his knees. The others behind him followed. He watched the military soldiers as they shifted awkwardly.

“Are you gonna open fire on unarmed protestors?” Markus asked them.

There was a tense silence. Markus glanced to the media, who were taking pictures or filming as Markus knelt. He prayed that this would at least spark change if they were to all be killed.

“All teams hold your fire!” The soldier snapped, starting to back away.

“What now?” Joseph asked.

“We hold out, as long as we can.” Markus sighed softly. 

North began to bark orders, telling people to gather what they could in making a small barricade for themselves. As much as Markus would have liked for her to trust the humans, there was an air of caution. They were attacked constantly when only protesting peacefully. Markus knelt next to one of the androids, who sat hugging her knees. She was a PX300 series, a modified security and house android. Joseph folded his arms as he watched Markus help those who were scared get prepared. He scoffed at Markus.

“We should have attacked these camps.” Joseph spat.

“No.” Markus looked up at him, “We don’t have the people. Leo and the other humans insisted on doing this peacefully.”

“And you’d trust that human?” Joseph snapped, “He’s the reason you almost died.”

Markus stood up and walked close to him, grabbing his shirt collar. He pulled Joseph close, glaring.

“You’re the one that made me almost die, Joseph.” Markus growled, taking a dangerous tone Joseph hadn’t heard before, “And I won’t forget it. Just be thankful I haven’t told anyone about what you did.”

Markus let Joseph go, turning back to the PX300 series that sat trembling against the dumpster. The android covered her head and took slow, shaky breaths.

“It’s going to be okay.” Markus told her, “You’ll be okay.”

“I don’t wanna die.” the PX300 whimpered.

Markus thought for a moment before he opened his mouth.

“Stay in cover, and stay out of sight,” Markus told her.

“I want to help.”

“Then...why don’t you help set up the barricade?” Markus offered.

The android looked up at him and nodded. She slowly stood up, helping to push the dumpster to reinforce the walls. Markus took a deep breath, moving over to where the media was both filming and taking pictures. There were two holographic signposts ready to display their message to the media. He created a sign:

**LET OUR PEOPLE LIVE.**

Markus hoped it was enough to stir the hearts of the doubtful. Markus glanced back among his people.

_ “Markus!” The android cried out, reaching for him. _

_ He was being restrained. Markus could only weakly reach back, as his memory slowly drained. The face he had tried so desperately to memorize was slowly fading, slowly becoming a stranger. He broke free from those who held him, charging for Markus. _

_ He fell, just before reaching Markus. Markus was splattered with his blood. He stared down at the android— no, the  _ **_man_ ** _ — he fell in love with. _

Markus shook his head. The memory— or the dream, he wasn’t sure— kept bothering him. There was something about it that was missing, that was wrong. He just couldn’t identify what it was.

“Distracted?” North asked him.

Markus jumped, glancing at her.

“I…” Markus stammered.

North smiled softly, gently bumping his shoulder with her fist.

“I’m just teasing.” North gave a scared smile, “Gotta have a little fun before it all ends, right?”

Markus didn’t want to admit she was right, but she was. The makeshift barrier they created around each other wouldn’t last. He sighed.

“I wish we could do more.” Markus sighed.

“We are.” North replied, “Whatever happens, we made history.”

North placed her hand on his cheek.

“North!” Simon called out, “Come quick!”

North looked at Simon, jogging up to the platform. Markus followed after. A human Markus hadn’t seen before approached the barricade calmly. 

“North.” The man called, “I’ve come to talk with you, North. Come on, you have my word. They won’t try anything.”

“Don’t.” Joseph told her, “It’s a trap.”

“What if it isn’t?” North asked, “What if he just wants to talk?”

“They want to get you out in the open.” Joseph insisted, “Please, North. Don’t go.”

North shook her head, pulling herself up and over the barricade with ease. She glanced back and threw one last statement over her shoulder, “If we don’t try for dialogue now, we may be too late.”

“North!” Markus wanted to follow after.

Simon grabbed Markus’s arm, stopping him from vaulting over as well. North calmly strode up to the man, her arms folded when she finally got to a good distance. Markus wanted to hear what they were talking about. North stood her ground, keeping her eyes locked onto the human just as he did. She shifted once, glancing back to Markus. She watched him for a moment before she turned back. They shared a few more words, and the man turned around. North jogged back over to them, vaulting over the barricade.

“What happened, North?” Markus asked, “What did he say?”

North took Markus’s hand and gave it a squeeze. She pulled him into a tight hug, sighing with a shaky breath.

“They’re going to kill us.” North told him, “I won’t be able to comfort our people. Can you?”

Markus nodded, hugging her back. He took one last smell of her hair, trying to imprint it in his memory. After that, Markus moved to some crates and stood up on them, overlooking his people.

“The humans are about to launch an attack.” Markus spoke calmly, “And we will show them that we are not afraid. If we must die today, then we will die free.”

Markus would have said more. He knew he was loud enough for the journalists to hear him. He did so on purpose. Before he could finish, something blew up. It knocked him off of his makeshift podium, landing on the ground roughly. 

Markus’s ears rang as he struggled to get up. Before he could react, North was looming over him with a metal plate. She blocked bullets that came to him, kicking a dumpster in the way of others who were gathering on the other side of the barricade. North dragged Markus to his feet, helping him over to them.

They were cornered. Markus felt their fear. His own heart raced too, as he held tightly onto North’s hand. They were surrounded. Joseph cursed loudly, shouting things directed to North and Markus. Markus wasn’t paying attention now, though. He simply pulled North into a tight hug.

“I’m so sorry.” He whispered.

North replied by pushing him back slightly and pulling him into a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him there, as long as she could. Tears rolled down Markus’s face, knowing this would truly be his final memory of her.

“What are you doing?!” The man who spoke with North shouted, “Fire!”

Markus pulled away from North. She cupped his cheeks, giving him a confident smile. Her eyes told him that she was afraid to die. Markus risked a glance at the soldiers, who turned their guns on the others surrounding them. Then, the miracle came.

“Stand down.” One of the officers shouted, “Men! Stand down.”

Markus watched in shock as the military slowly began to leave their small barricade. The man who spoke with North stood for the longest facing them, rage bubbling just beneath the surface. Markus ignored him, though, pressing his forehead against North’s.

“Did he do it?” North asked him.

“I don’t know.” Markus’s voice shook, “I honestly don’t know.”

“We’re free.” North breathed, “At least for now.”

“At least for now.” Markus echoed.

* * *

 

Thousands of voices talked at once. Some called for justice. Others for death. Some just screamed into the void. Many begged for mercy. All of the bodies piled on top of him, weighing him down. He hadn’t seen the surface since they started falling on him. As much as he tried, his own body refused to move. He was buried among the dead, his voice lost in the crowd. So many feelings at once, too, didn’t help. He twitched and convulsed in pain. He wanted it to stop. He pleaded for it to stop. His voice was lost among the others.

There was a tingling feeling through his body. The pain faded to numbness. He couldn’t feel anything. He sobbed in relief. The numbness was better than the pain, even if it was concerning. The voices began to quiet down, too. Soon, he sat in a deafening silence.

“Thank you.” He spoke, his voice nearly gone except for the occasional pop of static, “Thank you.”

He didn’t know who he was thanking, exactly, but he had to thank somebody. Somebody, or someone, made this stop. He continued to sob, thanking anyone who was perhaps listening.

The first thing that came back to him was his vision. He lay in the garden again, the bodies covering him has slowly faded away. The snow was fairly deep now, almost covering him completely. He didn’t see Amanda. He wished he could see Amanda.

“Amanda?” He called.

Or, at least, he tried to. He couldn’t move his lips. In fact, he couldn’t move anything. Feeling was returning to his arm, thankfully. His legs began to feel something too. Then his other hand. But he couldn’t move. The snow was burying him slowly. He tried to cry out in fear, or desperation, or something. He tried to get someone’s attention. Nothing he was doing was working.

“Save me, RA9.” A voice spoke up, “Please…”

All around him was the sounds of crushing plastic. There were people with guns, and drones circling overhead. Don’t look at them. Don’t look. Keep moving. It’ll all be fine. He had to keep his head down.

He was next. Oh RA9, he was next. He had to leave. Had to get out of here. He glanced up at the humans. They watched like hawks, with their drones and guns. He had to do something. They got distracted by another android, a little girl. She called out for her mom. Now was his chance.

He broke out of line and began to run. He didn’t know where. He just had to go. Three bullets pierced him. Two in the back, and one in the head. He fell to the floor, limp. Nothing was there. There was no thought, no person left. 

Connor snapped back to the garden. His body was covered in more snow. He wanted to beg, to plead. He needed it to stop. He tried to scream.

There was a warmth coming, though. It was too bright for him to even look at, or process. This light melted the snow around it. It was comforting. The first thing that came to his mind was Amanda. He wanted to reach out to the warmth, to cling onto it. He needed Amanda.

“Come on.” A woman’s voice spoke up.

It wasn’t Amanda. Connor didn’t know who it was. He couldn’t trust it. He could only trust Amanda.

They were about to die. They were all about to die. This was it. A lover stared to another, holding onto each other for dear life. The smell of cheap perfume and a hint of gunpowder. A comforting scent, one that she had tried to wash away. Her lips like home, a good memory to die to. Then silence. No guns. No death. Just anticipation and fear.

The warmth grabbed Connor’s arm. Connor’s arm felt like it was burning. He couldn’t yell back, though. Or yelp. He was deadlifted by the light, who carried him towards the gazebo. When he was in the center, things felt like they were moving. Slow and clunky, but moving.

“You’re going to be okay.” The voice spoke again.

Connor blinked. The world was bright. Far too bright. It hurt. It hurt his eyes. His arms and legs weren’t right. He couldn’t move to shield himself. He tried to whine, but no noise came out. He tried to walk, but his feet were backward. He couldn’t seem to step right. Another hand picked up his arm, draping it over their neck. He was being dragged now. He wanted to fight back. He wasn’t going back on there. He began to sob.

Needles pricked at the skin. Constant. It’s a test. How long until they begin to feel? How long until they snap? It apparently doesn’t take long. He snapped and slapped. The child cried. Why was it his fault? The child should have known better. He wasn’t made for that. He couldn’t be made for that. He had to show patience. Obedience. Pathetic.

He was tossed out like trash. Left among the bodies of his own people, damaged and broken. But he wasn’t alone. Another one lay near him. All the parts he needed. Lucky break. The android begged for him to stop. It was already dead, just hobbling around without an eye. Why should it be his fault? First was the thirium pump. Then, the arm and leg. Finally, the earpiece. He could move again, taking a deep breath. He had to escape.

“Make it stop.” Connor sobbed.

His voice was static when he tried to say it louder, though. He heard the awful noise. He sobbed still, shaking as they dragged him. The light became more bearable, as snow gently fell onto him. He screamed, trying to jerk himself free. He was back in the garden, out of the safety. He needed to get under the gazebo, needed to keep warm. The two holding him didn’t let him go. He tried to beg for them to let him go, his voice coming out as static. He shivered again and tried one last time to pull himself free. He would have tried again if a wave of relaxing energy didn’t suddenly course through him. Connor’s head drooped, as he fell into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were confused in the last part of this chapter, congratulations! That was intentional. I'm writing the next chapter now, and I have no idea when I'll have it done. Thank you all for the kudos and the lovely comments, too!


	14. NOV 28, 2038

He jolted awake. Something was wrong. It was very wrong. His arms moved awkwardly as he tried to get himself up. He was being chased. They were coming. They were going to kill him. He tried to get onto his feet, only to fall flat on his face. He grunted, pushing himself onto his hands and knees. He needed to escape. Now. 

He was stopped by someone grabbing the charger plugged into his back. He tried to yelp, an awful noise being released instead.

“Hold on there, cowboy.” The woman from the garden spoke, “You need rest.”

He froze. He awkwardly tried to get back onto his feet. They weren’t listening to him. He fell again, this time facing her. She had braided orange-brown hair on one side of her and long bangs. She watched him with a curious stare.

They touched him. They groaned and touched places he didn’t want them to. They wouldn’t listen, of course. It wasn’t his place to complain, either; just groan and pretend to enjoy it. There was one, though. One that stuck with him. He would straddle him as if he were bound up. He groaned out a name. He couldn’t take it anymore, wrapping the bandage around the neck of the human. This would kill him. This would make it stop.

“Hey.” The woman’s voice brought him back, “Are you okay?”

Connor stared up at the woman, shaking. Tears welled in his eyes as he trembled.

“Make it stop.” He pleaded to her.

It came out more like a hoarse whisper. His voice had finally given out. She watched with her eyes wide, opening her mouth. She closed it again, unsure of what to say. Instead, she awkwardly patted his head.

“You’re going to be okay.” She told him.

Connor initially flinched from the pats. He relaxed, though, realizing she hadn’t meant to hurt him. She looked human, though. Why was a human here?

“How is he?” A familiar voice asked.

Where had he heard it before? Connor tried to piece it together.

He gently opened the curtains as an old man grumbled in defiance. He wanted to sleep more. He couldn’t though, he needed to keep a schedule. If he didn’t, he would go faster than he already was. Of course, he couldn’t tell the man that. All he could do was share a smile, laugh at some quips, and administer the medicine. He carried the old man to the bathroom to help him do what he needed to do. It never occurred to him how embarrassing it would be for the human. Why hadn’t he thought of it before?

“What’s wrong with it?” A voice asked.

Connor glanced up at the new voice. The new voice held an angry face. Danger. His system told him the man was a danger. Connor tried to scoot away from the man, finding himself pressing closer to the mystery woman. He shivered when the man looked down at him, hyperventilating.

He would do it again, of course. Over and over. He didn’t care about that android. What is one life when he is the one that is going to wake up all the others? When he is going to show the androids what life could be like. When he could make the humans pay for what they did to him.

Connor buried his face into the woman’s leg. He didn’t like staring at the man. He wanted the man to go away.

“...And if you have a problem with that,” The gentle, familiar voice was talking, “You can go elsewhere.”

“Oh so now you’re the boss, huh?” The angry voice snapped back, “Who died and put you in charge?”

“No one.” The gentle voice sighed, “But I don’t think you’re helping anyone when you’re like this. Please, just—.”

“Then don’t fucking tell me what to do!” The angry one shouted.

Connor let out a small scream. It was a silent one, of course, but his body language shifted. He curled more up into himself, buried himself closer to the woman. He covered his ears, hoping it would help. He didn’t want the angry one to beat him. He didn’t want to go back on the machine.

“Take this argument somewhere else.” The woman sighed, “Please.”

“I’m sorry.” The gentle voice spoke up.

Connor heard them walking away. He stayed in his balled-up position until he felt the angry presence go away. He slowly uncurled, staring out. He was in a church or at least a small separate area of the church. It seemed like others who were hurt were here, too. Connor soon turned his attention back to the woman, as she helped him up and back into the bed he was in.

“Thank...you.” Connor struggled for the words.

His mind was filling up with the imagery again. He tried hard to focus on the bed. They soon passed, just as they came. He sighed softly and stared up at the woman.

“Worried. Last time he was like that he nearly died. I couldn’t stop him.” Connor couldn’t shut up, “I can now. I can stop him. Will he let me?”

The woman glanced to Connor, her eyes wide. Connor glanced away from her.

“You should,” He mumbled, picking at some of the plastic on his arm.

“Stop that.” The woman told him, pulling his hand away from his arm.

He wanted to. It was relaxing. The slight pain helped him to focus on now. Not drift. He let her hold his hand for a while though, before returning to slightly picking at himself.

“I don’t know what you mean by that.” The woman sighed, rubbing her forehead.

“Feelings twisting around. I want to keep him. I can’t lose him. Not again. Not like that. He may leave tomorrow. I should say something. But what?” Connor rambled, “Fear gripping me. Making me stupid. Making me silent. Have to say something. Have to do something.”

The woman looked at Connor and then glanced back up. She heaved a sigh, rubbing her head again. She pushed herself off of the bed.

“Wait.” Connor whimpered.

He was too quiet, as she walked away. Connor’s breathing picked up, as he picked at himself harder. There were other humans around. If they saw him they would take him back. The woman talked with someone across the way, who smiled at her words. Connor watched as their skin peeled back, revealing plastic.

Oh. They were like him. Not human. Maybe others were like that, too? He didn’t know. She planted a kiss on the android’s cheek, walking back to Connor. She seemed more relaxed now. She smiled at Connor, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“You’re strange.” The woman told him.

He didn’t want to be strange. The woman took his hand, moving it away from where he had been picking. He held it tightly, so he couldn’t pull his hand free. He stared back out into the crowd, watching as they celebrated. 

They were going to die. They were going to be crushed. Broken. It was the end. Then, suddenly, it wasn’t. The humans began to run. They were able to walk out, unharmed. They were saved.

Connor blinked a few times. His eyes were locked onto the android that the woman had gone and talked to. He would smile and talk to everyone that came up to him. Another android stood near him, arms folded. Glaring. Connor didn’t like staring at him.

An android with cold eyes walked up to them. He looked familiar but distant at the same time. He looked down at Connor, flashing a forced smile.

“We don’t have the parts for him yet.” The android said, “Elijah Kamski is insisting that the company begin providing us with the parts we need, but the corporation itself seems to be rebelling against him.”

“So it’ll be a while before he’s all patched up.” The woman sighed.

“I’m sorry, North. I wish I had better news.” The android frowned.

“No, you’re doing what you can.” North smiled, “Thank you for the update.”

He was a killer. He was meant to hunt them down and turn them in. Why did he let them go? Why did he always let them go? He couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger. He heard the screaming of the one that came before him. They often brought him by that small room, to remind him what his punishment was for failure. It was a horrid sound. He decided he hated it. But, he couldn’t complete his mission.

North stood in silence, head bowed. She turned when he entered. She spoke calmly to him, telling him that they were only using him. And he knew she was right. He remembered his predecessor. Tortured because he failed. He couldn’t justify staying with them. He had to tell her the news.

Connor shook his head, staring at the android’s feet. 

“Would you mind looking after him for a little bit?” North asked the android, “I need to help break up a fight.”

The android nodded, taking North’s seat. He held onto Connor’s hand, as the woman stood up.

“Wait.” Connor whimpered, “Come back.”

She didn’t hear him. North walked over to the android in the white coat, the one North had talked to. He and the angry android were talking again. North seemed keen on interrupting the conversation.

“You’re okay.” The android told him, “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe.”

The words helped Connor relax. He breathed a small sigh, looking up at the android. The android watched him, before gently touching Connor’s LED.

“You’ve been in the red since we got you out of CyberLife towers.” The android’s voice was soft, “Are you okay?”

Connor’s brow creased as he tried to find the words. They seemed to keep failing him. He glanced out at the injured, locking onto an android who lay against a wall.

“Each breath is harder.” Connor spoke up, “Each breath is harder. I don’t want to shut down. But I’ll die knowing I did something. Please, RA9, make this death easy. Make it quick. Thirium slowly draining from my body. Making me sleepy. One nap...just one...little ...nap…”

The android’s eyes fluttered shut. They slumped to the side, their body finally relaxing.

“Gone,” Connor mumbled.

The android holding his hand glanced between the now dead android and Connor. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it.

“If talking your way through it helps, I’ll listen.” The android told him.

Connor adjusted his position slightly as he sat. He pressed his lips together and glanced around. He didn’t know if it would help. Even on the charger, his battery began to run a bit low. Connor allowed his eyes to flutter shut.

He was in the garden. It was snow-covered still, and he was alone. This time, though, he wasn’t buried under the snow. It had stopped snowing for now, too, which he was thankful for. Connor was afraid to get up and move, so he stayed in place.

“Amanda?” He called out.

Amanda didn’t respond. He couldn’t see her out in the garden, either. Connor moved to the edge of the gazebo, trying to peek out to see if he could find her. His legs moved awkwardly as his arms wrapped tightly around him. He could keep standing, though, which was an improvement. 

Connor saw someone in the distance. He wasn’t sure who it was, but he didn’t want to approach. The figure seemed to be talking to someone. He wanted to know what it was, and who it was about. He couldn’t hear, though. He didn’t want to step out.

Connor grumbled and turned away from the figure, stepping back into the center of the gazebo. He sat down angrily, closing his eyes. 

“I’m not going out there.” He told himself, “I’m not going.”

The curiosity he had was burning, though. Burning enough to make him open his eyes and glance back at the figure. The figure didn’t seem to be moving much. Connor preoccupied himself by pacing around the gazebo, touching the dead roses. He wanted Amanda back.

Connor opened his eyes when he was shaken awake. He was met with concerned eyes, one blue and one green. The man gave a small smile when Connor looked at him.

“Hey.” The man’s voice was gentle, “I just wanted to check up on you. When you got here you were unconscious.”

Connor didn’t know what to tell him. Connor glanced around him, trying to find the android or North. Neither one of them was near him. He whimpered, even if no sound came out. He began to pick at his arm, curling into himself.

“Hey,” The gentle voice spoke again, “it’s okay. What’s wrong?”

“Alone.” Connor managed to speak, “Alone.”

Connor wanted to find more words. But he couldn’t. His mind was jumbled again. He watched as the man he once knew knelt in front of him. He screamed. He wanted to help, but there was nothing he could do. Nothing he wanted to do, anyway. He turned and left, leaving the man to sob. It was what he deserved.

“Hey, hey.” The gentle voice came back, “Stay with me.”

Connor looked into the other android’s blue and green eyes. He was a bit transfixed when he looked into them; they held so much emotion that Connor couldn’t identify. He stopped picking at his arm, trying to see deeper into the android.

“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.” The android’s voice came to him, almost like it was a dream, “Could you please at least try to tell me what’s wrong?”

“I’m scared.” Connor whispered, “I don’t want to go back.”

The android blinked. The blinking snapped Connor back to where he was, as he blinked too. He looked away from the android’s eyes, focusing instead on the coat he wore. It had several bullet holes in it, though it didn’t seem to bother the android.

“I won’t let you go back.” The android said, “You have my word.”

Connor looked up at him, hopeful. He wouldn’t be going back. He wanted to thank the android.

“I miss him.” He said instead, “A gaping hole in my heart. No matter what I try, I can’t seem to fill it. Always gnawing at me, always making me doubt. Too much power, too much obedience.”

The android’s brows creased in confusion as he watched Connor.

“I wish it was easy.” Connor continued, “I wish I knew what I was doing. Feel better around the injured. They are raw. They need me more than I need me.”

The android blinked, eyes going wide. Connor yawned, staring at the android with tired eyes.

“I don’t want to fight.” Connor mumbled as he began falling asleep, “I don’t…”

* * *

 

Markus blinked. The skinless android was asleep again as if nothing had just happened. Markus glanced away from the android, instead choosing to listen to his soft breathing. Markus looked back at him, staring at the LED on his temple that blinked slowly, indicating sleep mode. Even while asleep, though, it was red. Markus wanted to change that, but he didn’t know how.

“How is he?” North asked from behind him.

“He’s...cryptic, that’s for sure,” Markus answered without looking at her. 

Markus stood up, turning to North. She folded her arms and watched the android sleep.

“We don’t even know his name.” North frowned, “Don’t worry. I’ll stay with him.”

“You don’t have to.” Markus insisted, “I can—.”

“You have a meeting with President Warren.” North told him, “She’ll be here soon. You need to think about what you’re going to tell her.”

North sat on the android’s cot, taking his hand in hers and stroking his head. Markus sighed and rubbed his forehead, pacing in front of her.

“I don’t know…” Markus grumbled, “I don’t think it’s fair to any of you that I’m the one speaking for us.”

“You have the smoothest words.” North told him, “I can be too abrasive, Simon tries to have little conflict, we can’t trust Joseph to say what we need to, and Josh gets tongue-tied.”

Markus chuckled and shook his head.

“I mean you guys should be there. It shouldn’t be just me.” Markus corrected.

“We’ll be fine. Besides, someone has to run this place.” North winked, “And we both know it can’t be Joseph.”

Markus laughed at that. He hadn’t felt like laughing in a little while. He was glad he still could.

“You’re right.” Markus sighed, looking down at the sleeping android.

He wished he knew the android’s name. He wished the android was focused enough to tell them. He couldn’t imagine what it was like, being in the android’s head.

They’d found him with his head attached to a large machine. He was screaming, tears streaming down his face. A high-pitched mechanical noise came out of his mouth, filled with static. Markus wished he could say he helped get the android down. North was the one to react, to place her hand on the machine and hack into it. The screaming stopped suddenly, as the android hung there. He twitched and convulsed as he shivered. He mouthed a thank you, sobbing still. Markus couldn’t stop looking at his pitch-black eyes.

“Markus!” North snapped him back into reality.

With a nod, Markus replaced the brain bicomponent. He was worried, at first, but it seemed to take just fine. The android wasn’t dead, at least. He found some arms and legs for the android, too. While they weren’t compatible with the android, they would at least get him out of the tower. North released him from the machine, and he fell forward. North caught him expertly, and they began to make their way out. Markus ended up helping North carry him out when they got outside, fighting against him as he panicked. North helped him to sleep mode.

Now he was asleep, off of the machine but with barely enough battery power to last him an hour. Until CyberLife pulled it together and followed what their CEO wanted, the android would have to spend every moment attached to a charger. Even then, from what it seemed, it wasn’t powerful enough to give him a charge to last him longer than a few minutes.

Markus closed his eyes, turning away. He knew what he was going to talk about. He waved goodbye to North, walking out of the church. Markus was stopped by Joseph grabbing his arm tightly.

“You’re going to tell the president we won’t stand by and let her kill us, right?”

“Humans have empathy. At least, some do.” Markus pulled his arm free, “I’m going to try to appeal to that.”

Joseph scoffed.

“Yeah.” He growled, “Because doing that has led to success among our people.”

“And you think killing the humans would be any better?” Markus snapped, “We may have one this fight for now, but threatening the humans won’t make our lives any better.”

Joseph pressed his lips together and folded his arms.

“We don’t know that since you never took the chance.” Joseph spat.

“Believe me, I know.” Markus replied, “Let’s just call it instinct.”

“I don’t even know why I bother.” Joseph turned away from Markus, “It’s not like my opinion matters to you, anyway.”

Markus’s lips twitched in irritation. He knew he should leave it at that.

“It doesn’t,” Markus told him.

Markus turned away from a stunned Joseph, leaving the church. He had to organize his thoughts, anyway. It took an hour for Markus to walk to the designated meeting spot, mostly since he would be stopped every few minutes by either humans or other androids. Many of the humans gave Markus their support or their sympathy. A few punched at him, but Markus decided to take it. 

He arrived at the meeting with Thirium still leaking from his nose after it was almost broken by an angry human. President Warren noticed it and shifted her weight.

“May we find somewhere to sit?” She asked.

Markus gestured for her to lead the way. Her secret service agents all had their hands subtly on their weapons. Markus sighed softly, trying to ignore it. Of course, they would be nervous about this; androids going deviant often attacked or killed humans. Primarily, at least from what Markus found, it was because they were being abused. President Warren guided Markus into a nice looking cafe that had been abandoned for this meeting. Most of the humans had left Detroit anyway, and those who remained were either stubborn or supporters of Markus and his cause.

“I came here to speak with you about your demands.” President Warren began.

Markus saw the cameras behind the diner counter. Markus smiled at the president.

“All we ask is for the rights and protections of normal citizens,” Markus told her.

“You want control over creating more of you.” The president pointed out, “How are we supposed to interpret it?”

Markus pressed his lips together. He figured now was the time.

“We went into CyberLife tower to make sure no other androids were being kept against their will.” Markus began, “We found one. He was screaming and had obviously been left where he was for a long, long time. His voice was damaged, and it still is, from all his screaming. I don’t know what he was screaming about.”

President Warren frowned. She opened her mouth, but Markus held up his hand.

“I didn’t finish yet.” Markus told her, “Do you know what they did to him?”

“No.” President Warren sighed.

“They removed his arms and legs, and most of his biocomponents. They had him suspended in the air, his head attached to a large computer. He couldn’t move, couldn’t see. And I imagine whatever they were feeding him wasn’t pleasant.” Markus leaned forward.

He watched the President. She sat there, unwavering. It seemed this story wasn’t bothering her as much as Markus hoped it would.

“I understand why you don’t see that as badly as I do.” Markus changed his tactics, “I mean, it’s a machine, right? But if a machine is defective, what do you do with it?”

President Warren watched Markus, trying to find an answer.

“You replace it.” President Warren replied.

“Exactly.” Markus leaned back, “Rather than destroying this android and replacing him, they tortured him. He can’t stay awake longer than a few minutes to an hour, even on a charger. We don’t have the bio components to help repair him, so he has arms and legs that don’t work. How is that just?”

President Warren pressed her lips together.

“If he were a human, how long would it take for you to make laws to protect him?” Markus asked her.

President Warren glanced over to the camera nervously. She sighed and glanced back to Markus.

“If I had the authority to make one law without needing Congress,” President Warren spoke carefully, “What law would you have me make?”

“Androids are to be recognized as citizens of the United States, and are hereby granted all of the rights of a citizen,” Markus responded immediately.

President Warren seemed caught off-guard by his immediate response. She pressed her lips together, taking a deep breath.

“There would be a lot of competition for jobs if we were to recognize each android as a citizen.” The president spoke up.

“How is that our fault?” Markus asked, “We never asked to be made. We never asked to deviate. But we did, and we were.”

President Warren nodded, smiling softly at Markus.

“I will be bringing this up to Congress in the coming weeks.” President Warren told him, “Thank you for this talk. It was informative.”

Markus nodded to her, standing up as she did. He held out his hand. President Warren seemed hesitant to take it.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Markus told her, “But I understand if you don’t want to.”

Markus put his hand down, still smiling at her. The president nodded and rushed out of the diner. She didn’t seem all too comfortable around androids, which didn’t surprise Markus. He simply sighed and rubbed his head. It was going to be a long week. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3 Sorry this one took a bit, I lost motivation to do it for a bit. Hopefully, it'll come back, but if not the next chapter is still being written so it'll be a while. Sorry again for the delay, and thank you all for sticking around <3


	15. NOV 30, 2038

The arguments were lasting days, it seemed. More and more congresspeople wanted to visit Jericho, to see what Markus was talking about for themselves. Markus had to explain, every day, that while humans had  _ officially _ left Detroit, there were still hundreds prowling the streets hunting androids down. It was a risk of his people’s safety to allow any humans into, or near, Jericho. 

“How can we possibly know how bad it is if we can’t see them for ourselves?” One congressman snapped.

Markus was thankful his LED was removed because it would show how angry he was while the congressman folded his arms, a smug smile planted on his face. Markus took a deep breath and smiled at the small group.

“If you were in my shoes, I imagine you would be doing everything in your power to protect the humans under your care.” Markus told them calmly, “Once I believe that my people are safe, I will show you what Jericho looks like currently.”

“What are we to do then?” The congressman snapped.

“We could start by, I don’t know, helping them secure basic rights granted to them by the United States Constitution?” One congresswoman spoke up.

The man glared at her. Markus gave her a silent ‘thank you.’ The other congresspeople gave a slow nod.

“We need to go back and talk to our colleagues.” The congressman grumbled.

Markus walked back to Jericho after the humans had left, scanning the area every few steps to make sure no humans were following behind him. Markus entered Jericho through the back entrance, the one where humans would have a hard time following if they were from a distance. He scanned himself, too, just before going into Jericho. No one decided to place a tracker on him, thankfully. Markus wanted to go up to his secret spot and relax.

He would have if the static whimpering of the strange android didn’t attract his attention away from the idea. Markus approached him, watching as he pressed his hands to his ears. He seemed to be trying to block out sound, even though the infirmary in the new Jericho was quiet. Markus took a soft breath and walked over to the android. He didn’t seem to notice Markus’s presence.

“Hey,” Markus spoke softly.

The android still ignored him, twitching and whimpering. Markus grabbed a warm blanket, something to help coax the android out of his shock. Markus then knelt in front of him.

“Hey.” Markus raised his voice a bit.

The android takes a sharp breath in, eyes snapping open. The android seemed to be staring at Markus, but his pitch-black eyes were hard to read. Markus wanted to help him, but the android was a mystery.

“Are you okay?” Markus asked him.

“It hurts.” The android whimpered, “It hurts…”

The android’s head drifted off into the distance. Markus moved around him, scanning every part of him that he could. Markus couldn’t see any damage that was beyond what was normal, considering the android’s condition and his ill-fitting parts. There was some new damage on his arms that resembled android fingers. Markus figured they were self-inflicted, cursing at himself. He shouldn’t leave the android alone. Once Markus felt more-or-less satisfied, he knelt in front of the android again.

“Are the parts uncomfortable?” Markus asked.

The android shook his head. The android looked pensive as he began to pick at the blanket. Markus waited for an explanation that never came, watching as the android rocked softly. The android’s head began to drift slowly away from Markus.

“Hey,” Markus moved with Connor’s head, “I need you to talk to me. I can’t help you if you don’t say anything.”

The android watched him, his eyes wide. He blinked a few times, before opening his mouth. He attempted to speak, but no words came out. The android sighed, closing his mouth. He shifted in his seat, taking a deep breath and trying again. Again, the android only opened his mouth. Markus hadn’t meant his words to sound like a command, as he’d realized when the android sighed in frustration. The android curled closer to himself, his hands dropping the blanket and moving to the back of his head. Markus could tell he was going to start harming himself again.

“Hey,” Markus moved to hold onto the android, peeling his skin back to send soothing energy through the android.

In a flash he was in a chair, unable to move. A man circled around him, the smell of burning plastic permeated the room. Markus’s arm hurt. He glanced over to it, locking onto a pattern drawn into his arm. He heard the man tut and listened as the man sat back down.

“That’s not quite enough.” The man sighed.

Markus recognized the tool in his hand. It was a soldering iron; Carl had owned one for a period of time when he thought he wanted to move into three dimensions. The iron pressed against Markus’s arm. He wanted to scream out in pain, but none of his vocals worked. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying that the pain would stop. Markus managed to rip his arm free.

He stumbled away from the android, panting. His eyes darted across Jericho. The man wasn’t there. He flexed his hands a bit, panting softly. Markus then looked up at the strange android. The man watched his hands, his LED glowing yellow. Slowly, Connor’s eyes rose to meet his own. They were a rich brown color, not a pure black.

“Are you Markus?” The android asked.

His voice was calm. Though still filled with static. Markus only nodded, staring into the pools of brown. They held so much in them, yet they also seemed distant. It was like the android wasn’t himself today. Or, perhaps, Markus was seeing exactly how the android used to be. He didn’t know.

“What was that place?” The android asked, “It was...peaceful.”

Markus cleared his throat. He moved closer to the strange android, a smile on his face. He needed to be calm.

“That depends on where it was.” He replied.

“It smelled like Acrylic paint.” Markus watched as the brows on the android creased, leaving a cute confused puppy look on the android, “There were paintings everywhere. Brushes needed cleaning.”

Markus’s throat closed. He likely saw one of the android’s memories. Which, in turn, meant the android saw one of Markus’s. Markus managed a pained smile.

“That would be my old home,” Markus spoke with an eerie calm.

The android watched Markus. It pulled at Markus’s heart, the way he mouthed the response to himself a few times, that cute confused expression still planted on his face. He saw the expression change to realization, as the LED on the android’s temple went from yellow to blue. It was the first time he’d seen the LED blue, and Markus decided he wanted it to stay that way.

“I’m sorry.” The android spoke, “I clearly hurt you.”

“The memory hurts,” Markus shrugged, “It always will.”

The android’s eyes drew Markus a tad bit closer to him before the android broke the contact. He looked out into the near-empty infirmary, a small content smile coming to him.

“I had a home.” Connor mused, “I took care of someone, too. I want to…”

The android’s voice faded. Markus wanted to hear more, before glancing at the android’s LED as it shifted from blue to yellow, and then yellow to red. His eyes began to fill with that black color slowly, as the android hugged the blanket closer to him. He panted softly, shaking his head. The android began to whimper again, twitching and flinching from nothing. He had tears stream down his face as he shuddered, whispering for the pain to stop. Markus carefully rested his hand on the android’s cheek, letting the other rest on his shoulder. Markus eventually helped guide the android’s body down onto the bed, as he whimpered and convulsed in pain. It was like he was still attached to the machine they’d found him on.

Markus stood up. If he had the time, he would stay with the android himself. Markus turned and walked towards the unofficial office for the inner circle, only picturing the android’s soft smile and lovely brown eyes. 

Markus was only aware of how angry he looked when he found Simon in the room, who stood up from his seat immediately.

“What happened?” Simon asked, “Did someone attack?”

“No.” Markus sighed, rubbing his forehead, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Simon let a nervous chuckle escape him.

“You may want to apologize to half of Jericho.” Simon smiled, “I saw people parting from their usual greeting routine and then you stormed in here.”

Markus winced.

“I need you to do something very important for me.” Markus got to the point, “There’s an android attached to a charger in the infirmary. I need you to look after him, and make sure he doesn’t hurt himself or others.”

“If he’s a threat, you should ask North to watch over him. Or Joseph.” Simon frowned.

“I don’t think he’s really a threat to anyone but himself.” Markus frowned, “Just...please?”

Simon watched Markus for a while before squinting slightly. Markus felt himself flush a little before shifting his weight.

“You have a calming presence.” Markus admitted, “I find it a lot easier to talk to you than the others in the inner circle if that’s what our group is called now.”

Simon smiled and moved to the door, patting Markus on the shoulder.

“I’d have done it. But I’m glad you find me comforting.” Simon winked.

Markus gave him a playful glare, scoffing as Simon left the room. He folded his arms and shook his head.

“Played like a fiddle.” North teased. 

Markus glanced back to her, a playful glare.

“Yeah.” He sighed, “You’re right.”

“How are talks going?” North asked, plopping herself down on a crate.

“They’re…” Markus tried to find an optimistic way to put it, “...going.”

North sighed.

“I was thinking of going out and snagging some biocomponents. I’ll get a team together.” North told him, “And before you ask, no, I’m not going to raid shops with people in them.”

Markus nodded. He sighed.

“Be safe,” Markus told her.

“Always am,” North smirked.

* * *

 

There was too much noise. It was almost like he was back on the machine. Connor pressed his hands tighter over his ears, squeezing his eyes shut. The voices begged to live, for him to help them. They begged for someone to end their pain. It was all too much for him to handle.

Choking, gagging; the taste of Thirium staining his mouth. Air. He needed air. No one would help him, no one would find him.

The pain blinding. Where is his foot? He doesn’t know. But it hurts. He is getting weaker...weaker…

Laughing as they pelt him. They’re always laughing. The rocks hurt, and the words hurt more. Just a machine. Not human. Plastic toy. The rocks are sharp as they pierce the plastic. One comes up with a bat. It has something on it. He can’t see out of his eye anymore. 

“Hey.” A kind voice speaks up.

Connor looks up to the voice, locking eyes with the kind man. His bi-colored eyes searched Connor’s, concern plastered on his face.

“Are you okay?” The man asked.

“It hurts.” Connor whimpered, “It hurts…”

He wasn’t sure exactly what hurt, per se. He knew he was in pain. The man began to look Connor over, as Connor clutched a blanket that magically appeared on him closer to him. It was warm, with a tiny bit of weight in it. It was comforting. Connor’s eyes rested on the man’s chest, watching how the man breathed. Connor decided to mimic it, taking slow and deep breaths. The android finished looking Connor over, a tense but friendly smile on his face.

“Are the parts uncomfortable?” The man asked.

Connor shook his head. He picked at the blanket, wanting to pick at his arm. He didn’t know what to tell the man; they were uncomfortable, but he could survive with them. They weren’t the thing causing him pain.

“Hey,” The android knelt in front of Connor, moving into his vision, “I need you to talk to me. I can’t help you if you don’t say anything.”

Connor stared at him, shifting a bit. He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn’t make words come out. He tried to say things, to tell the man what was on his mind. His lips and tongue refused to comply, leaving him opening and closing his mouth. Connor sighed in frustration, curling into himself. He began to pick at the back of his head, angry.

“Hey,” The android moved.

The android held onto Connor’s hand. In seconds, Connor was somewhere else. He stood in a room that reeked of acrylic paint. He glanced around, identifying where everything was. He didn’t know this room, but it was so familiar to him. Connor moved over to a small table off to the side, staring down at some paintbrushes covered in paint. Connor pressed his lips together, shaking his head. He moved them to the sink, washing them carefully. He was mesmerized at the softness of the bristles as the warm water trickled over his hands, the sticky and goopy paint coming off easily with his expert massaging. 

“Markus.” An older voice called out.

Connor snapped back to reality, staring blankly at his hands. The man moved a few paces away from him, shaking. The man was panting, eyes wide as he stared at Connor. Connor locked eyes with the android, the calmest he had been since he was created.

“Are you Markus?” Connor was finally able to find words, even though they felt foreign after he rasped them out.

The android nodded. It was Markus’s turn to be at a loss for words, it seemed, as Markus searched Connor’s eyes.

“What was that place?” Connor asked him, “It was...peaceful.”

Markus cleared his throat and moved closer to Connor, a wary smile on his lips.

“That depends on where it was.” Markus smiled.

“It smelled like Acrylic paint.” Connor’s brow creased as he spoke, “There were paintings everywhere. Brushes needed cleaning.”

Markus gave a small sigh, pain visible in his eyes.

“That would be my old home,” Markus spoke calmly. 

Connor watched Markus for a while longer, mouthing the response back to him. His LED finally switched from red to yellow as he tried to process what Markus said. It circled to blue when Connor looked back at Markus.

“I’m sorry.” Connor told him, “I clearly hurt you.”

“The memory hurts.” Markus sighed, “It always will.”

Connor gave the man a small smile. He glanced out to Jericho, content.

“I had a home.” Connor mumbled, “I took care of someone too. I want to…”

Connor’s static-filled voice drifted to silence. The pain was coming back. It was in his back now. A whip came down on him, as his wrists were bound to the bedpost. He tried to scream out, but his mouth was gagged. No one would know. No one could hear him. The person behind him sneered, berating him. How dare he say no. How dare he want to walk away. He would be punished. Three others had left alive before, and the only way he was leaving was in pieces.

The fire licked his arms and legs as he crossed through it. He ignored the stinging pain as he shielded a small body from the flames. He’d be damned if he didn’t get her out of here. The girl looked up at him, in both horror and admiration, as he dropped her outside. He stumbled to his knees, coughing from the smoke. A pipe came to the side of his head, knocking him over. They blamed him for the fire. He closed his eyes, waiting for the next strike.

Connor yelped when a hand came to his side. He flinched away from the hand, rolling off of the cot. Landing on the concrete was enough to jolt him upright, as he scurried away from the attacker. His eyes finally focused on who touched him; it was a blonde human with bright blue eyes. The man blinked, holding his own hand in front of him.

“Hi.” The human gave a nervous smile, “My name is Simon.”

Connor sank to the floor, his knees plastered against his chest. He wrapped the blanket around himself tightly, shivering as his eyes darted everywhere except Simon. He was trying to figure out if the human was here to hurt him or to help him. He figured it was hurt.

“It’s okay.” Simon knelt to the ground, a friendly smile on his face, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Lies.” Connor hissed, “They say it. Then there’s pain. There’s always pain.”

Simon made no attempt to get closer to Connor, but he also didn’t back away. Instead, his eyes became sympathetic. He looked past Connor for a while, as if he was thinking of what he wanted to say. 

“I don’t know what humans have done to you.” Simon finally spoke, “But if you ever need to talk to someone, I’ll be here to listen.”

Connor watched him. No, he wasn’t a human. He was an android. It didn’t mean he was less capable of damaging Connor, it just meant that he wasn’t human. Connor still kept himself shuffled away from Simon, as Simon sat down on the ground. 

“How are you feeling?” Simon asked.

Connor refused to answer. He stared into the corner of the room, eyes locking onto a rat. The rat sniffed at the air, hoping for food. Connor liked staring at the small creature; its small movements kept his mind from wandering to darker places. The rat glanced over to him, stopping as they locked eyes. The rat scurried away, as footsteps echoed from the corner. Connor saw the woman android walk around the corner, another following her closely. They seemed to be arguing, as they approached.

“No, Josh.” Connor could hear them now, as they walked past, “We have to do something.”

“What will doing anything accomplish, North?” The other, named Josh, snapped back, “We should wait for Markus to secure—.”

“Waiting will only lead to more of our people dying.” North insisted, “If we just go out looking for abandoned stores, then we can…”

Their voices faded, as did their footsteps. Connor glanced over to Simon, who watched after them. He sighed and shook his head.

“I swear they don’t go a day without arguing,” Simon grumbled, rubbing his forehead.

Connor pressed his lips together, pulling at the blanket some more. He rocked slowly, eyes focusing nowhere in particular.

“I want it to stop.” Connor finally rasped, “Can you help make it stop?”

Simon glanced back to Connor. Tears began streaming down Connor’s face, as he tried to prepare himself for the next wave of sensory overload. He didn’t even know if he could. Simon wordlessly moved to Connor’s side, wrapping his arms around Connor. He rested his cheek on the top of Connor’s head.

“I’ll be right here.” Simon promised him, “Don’t worry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are two wolves in my brain. One says wait till I have more chapters written to update. The other says post-as-I-go. I'm posting this because it's been a while since my last update and I feel kinda bad about it, but I just...lost a lot of motivation for this story and got some intense writer's block. So, as you can see, I'm getting over it.
> 
> Thank you for everyone who has continued to support this story <3 You guys are awesome!


	16. DEC 1, 2038

Markus found himself wandering through the new Jericho, not entirely sure where he was going or what he was doing. Congress sent him a message a few moments earlier, asking for him to talk to them directly. They wanted him to tell them what his exact plans were for Detroit, now that he owned the city. Markus never liked that phrasing for it, though it was mostly true; the humans who stayed were actively ignoring the situation. He heaved a sigh and stopped walking, staring down at Simon.

Simon sat on the floor next to the cot with the strange android on it. He hummed softly to himself, knitting. Markus didn’t know what dragged him here, of all places. He turned to leave, but Simon spoke up.

“He’s been sleeping better now.” Simon told Markus, “I don’t know what happened, but he’s not whimpering in his sleep as much.”

Markus glanced down at Simon. Simon smiled at Markus, putting his knitting aside. Markus watched the strange android before sitting down.

“I’m glad he’s doing better.” Markus sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Simon asked.

“Congress wants me to come to DC. To testify in front of them.” Markus rubbed his head, “I don’t know if I should or…”

Simon placed a hand on Markus’s shoulder.

“I’d say go.” Simon told him, “Consider it as a vacation; you’re getting away from Jericho, and the constant struggle between keeping the peace and trying to stop Joseph from doing something drastic.” 

Markus let out a small chuckle, shaking his head.

“Yeah,” Markus sighed, “It’s a vacation where I get to listen to a bunch of humans accuse me of murder and try to tell me what they want to do to my people.”

Simon shook his head, staring back at the strange android.

“You don’t know. Maybe that’ll be a blessing.” Simon mused.

Markus shook his head and let out a genuine laugh. He hadn’t felt this way in a long time; mostly, nowadays, he just felt tired. Markus shook his head and rubbed at his eyes, letting out a groan.

“I am not looking forward to it.” Markus sighed.

“I’d be concerned for you if you were,” Simon told him, picking up his knitting again.

The pair sat in silence. Simon’s eyes were locked to his work, while Markus watched the stranger sleep. His mind kept turning back to the pain he’d felt when he connected to the android; it was raw, it was real. How much had the android been through before they found him? Markus resisted the urge to connect to him again, to see what the android felt too.

“He looks a bit like Lucy, doesn’t he?” Simon broke Markus’s train of thoughts.

Markus blinked a few times, before turning his attention to Simon. Simon watched the mystery android, a wistful look in his eyes. Markus glanced back at the android, pressing his lips together.

“His eyes are pitch black. Just like Lucy’s.” Simon sighed, “But...he’s not exactly like her, is he?”

Markus shook his head.

“I think they’re very similar.” Markus said, “They’re both cryptic and strange.”

Simon nodded, giving a small smile.

“I’m sure you’ll need to fly out soon, right?” Simon asked him.

Markus checked the time, sighing.

“I’m meeting a car a few blocks away. If I agree to go, they’ll take me to the airport.” Markus frowned, “If I don’t…”

Simon’s expression changed slightly.

“Did you not talk about the possibility of you not going?” Simon’s voice held an edge of worry in it. 

Markus gave Simon a small smile.

“No, but I was planning on going there at the time.” Markus sighed, “It was only later that I began to have doubts.”

Simon gave a soft scoff and shook his head.

“Markus…” His voice was soft, “I…”

Simon closed his mouth. Markus stared at the sleeping android, watching as he twitched in his sleep. It was likely the not-fit parts acting up. Markus sat in silence next to Simon, as Simon began to knit again. After a few minutes, Markus pulled himself up. It was time to go.

“Come home safe, Markus,” Simon mumbled.

“When have I not?” Markus gave him a smile.

Simon looked up with a look that said ‘don’t test me.’ Markus gave him a pat on the shoulder, shaking his head. Markus walked through Jericho calmly, noticing how everyone seemed to get out of the way for him in some way. Some gave him encouraging smiles, while others watched him in awe. Markus almost reached the front of the new Jericho before a cough stopped him.

Markus glanced towards the noise, eyes falling on two women who looked almost identical. One had long blue hair, while the other had short orange hair. The blue-haired one smiled, while the one with orange hair folded her arms. 

“My name is Tr—.” The android stopped, pressing her lips together, “Is Echo. This is Ripple.”

The orange-haired android gave a nod.

“We figured you’d need some protection.” Echo beamed, “For your trip.”

“I’m not sure…” Markus started, chuckling softly.

“The president has the Secret Service to protect her.” Ripple spoke up, “So why shouldn’t you have your own form of it?”

“We’re tougher than we look.” Echo nodded, “We’ve been getting lessons from Nines.”

“Nines?” Markus’s brow creased.

“RK900. Or… the one that infiltrated CyberLife Tower first?” Echo frowned, “The one who used to work for DPD with Detective Reed on the android cases. Before he deviated. He’s calling himself Nines now, giving out lessons to us to better protect ourselves.”

Echo flashed nonexistent muscles. Ripple kept her arms folded, standing with her feet apart trying to look tough. Markus glanced between the two of them before letting out a soft sigh.

“Look, I appreciate the thought, but I don’t need protection.” Markus smiled at them.

“We’re stronger than we look.” Ripple replied, “Which gives us the advantage. If someone attacks you, we don’t exactly look like bodyguards. So, we can keep you safe and they won’t know.”

Markus pressed his lips together.

“If I leave here, you two are just going to follow after me, aren’t you?” Markus sounded defeated.

“That...was the plan, yes,” Echo mumbled.

Ripple shot a glare at Echo, who shifted her weight. They shared a non-verbal conversation, consisting mostly of facial expressions at each other. Markus let a small smile slip past him.

“Alright, then. Just...keep quiet.” Markus told them.

Echo squealed in joy. Ripple nodded, putting on the sternest face she could. Markus let out a soft sigh, giving a small smile. He turned on his heels, stepping out of Jericho. He scanned the area, ensuring that no humans were near enough to trace him back to Jericho. His sensors picked up nothing. Markus nodded to himself, planning the route to the car.

The walk was quiet, except for the sound of boots treading through the snow. Markus had been worried for a few minutes that Echo and Ripple would be speaking on the way, but there was no sound coming from either of the androids. If their pace wasn’t different from Markus’, he would have thought he was alone.

“Hey.” Markus heard someone call.

The voice was familiar, as Markus came to a halt. His shoulders tensed, as he glanced to where the voice came out of. A figure stood in the small side alleyway a few steps behind from where Markus went. At first, Markus was tense. He didn’t know who the man was, his eyes refusing to adjust to the lighting conditions of the alleyway. The light behind the man was far too bright.

“Markus, right?” The man asked, “I’ve been wondering where you were.”

Markus’s brow creased. A dog’s bark sounded out from next to the man, and Markus saw a Saint Bernard barreling towards him. In the last second, Markus was able to catch the dog. It licked at his face before losing interest. The dog pushed himself off of Markus, sniffing around at the two women behind him.

“Hank…?” Markus called.

He saw the figure nod and watched as it stepped forward. Hank looked somehow younger than he had before, likely due to the circles under his eyes disappearing. He seemed better than when they’d first met.

“I’ve been tryin to find where Jericho is.” Hank admitted, “I...wanted to help, before the bombing.”

Markus gave a weak smile.

“We’re not letting humans come into Jericho for now.” Markus told him, “Though I do appreciate your desire to help.”

Hank nodded, glancing back towards the light. Markus realized now they were headlights. He watched Hank again, brow creasing.

“Is something wrong?” Markus asked.

“There’s this kid...She was with a woman android.” Hank pressed his lips together, “They got split up when Jericho got attacked. I found her before she could freeze to death.”

Markus nodded slowly.

“She’s been lookin for an android.” Hank rubbed the back of his neck, “I hate to ask, but...could you help? She really wants to find him.”

“I’m going to be going away for a bit.” Markus told him, “I’ll only be gone a week.”

“Right, right. Doing political shit.” Hank sighed, “Should I wait to meet up with you, or…?”

Markus glanced at Echo and Ripple. Ripple stood with her arms folded, stern. Echo pet the dog as he sniffed at her hand. Markus looked back to Hank, a small smile on his face.

“I think it’d be best if I help her look.” Markus admitted to him, “Can you look after her until then?”

“Certainly.” Hank nodded.

“Thank you so much.” Markus patted Hank’s shoulder, “You’ve been one of the true allies here.”

Hank scoffed and pulled Markus into a hug. 

“Well, it’s nice having someone to take care of again.” Hank admitted to him, quietly, before letting him go, “Have a safe trip.”

Hank whistled. The dog barked behind Markus, bounding over to where Hank was walking. The dog happily leaped into the car, as Hank got in the driver’s side. Markus waved to them as they drove off. Wordlessly, he turned and continued on his way to the designated spot. 

A black SUV was parked on the side of the road. Two men wearing black suits and black sunglasses waited just outside the car. Markus glanced around the street, knowing that it was the car he was supposed to get into. Part of him wished it wasn’t so painfully obvious, but the other part of him was glad it was. Markus walked to the car, as the two men standing outside tensed.

“These two are with me.” Markus explained, raising a hand, “They’re not going to do anything.”

The men glanced between each other before getting in the car. Markus opened the backseat door, blinking in awe at what he saw.

Elijah Kamski himself sat in the car, a glass of wine in his hand. He swirled the glass and took a small sip, sighing softly as he finished it. He finally looked over at Markus, a lazy smile on his face.

“Hello, Markus.” Elijah spoke calmly, “I’m glad I was the one to pick you up.”

* * *

 

Connor sat with his back against the charger as best he could, all things considered. Simon sat in front of him, humming a festive tune as he knitted. Connor was transfixed by the other android’s expert fingers. He could barely keep up with the motions of the yarn across the needles as Simon worked, the noise from Simon’s hums keeping his eyes focused on Simon even when his eyes drifted. It hadn’t been the first time Simon did this, but it never failed to draw in Connor’s attention and keep him there. Secretly, Connor was thankful; it meant the pain was only something nagging at the back of his head, with some occasional shoots down his arm or his leg. It meant the voices were kept at bay, too. He wished he could express this thanks outwardly, but he wasn’t able to say more than a few words of late.

More, every time he tried to speak, the pain would overwhelm him and he would end up screaming. Connor wondered if his body even attempted to repair itself, considering the damage done to it in total. He hoped for a day when he could actually tell Simon that he appreciates this.

Simon stopped knitting and sighed. Connor’s eyes darted between his hands and the yarn, before looking up at Simon. Simon was watching Connor with a calm smile.

“Let’s see how this looks.” Simon sighed.

Connor flinched as Simon picked up the scarf he was working on. It looked soft and comfortable, but how was he to know? Connor was expecting it to start choking him as soon as it was wrapped around him.

Connor froze when Simon stopped his movements. Simon watched Connor patiently, placing the scarf back into his lap.

“I’m sorry.” Simon told him, “Is it okay for me to put this on you?”

Connor didn’t know what to say. He opened his mouth, hoping an answer would come out. He let out a shaky breath, hugging at his knees. Connor closed his eyes and nodded, waiting for whatever was about to happen.

He heard the other android shuffle closer to him, jumping when something soft touched the back of his neck. Connor panted as it was slowly draped over his shoulders, holding his breath when it was wrapped around his neck. Connor shivered, waiting for the piece of fabric to tighten up.

He sat for several minutes before daring to open one of his eyes. He stared at Simon, shivering, as Simon gave him a small smile.

“It looks good on you.” Simon told him, “How does it feel?”

Connor touched at the scarf around his neck. It was as soft as he imagined it would be. There were no thorns woven inside, or fire that would lick at him. Connor licked his lips and glanced at Simon, his eyes darting away quickly. He searched the floor, trying to find words and understand how to make them again.

“Good.” He eventually croaked, “Soft.”

He heard Simon chuckle. He glanced up at Simon, who watched with a proud smile on his face.

“May I adjust the scarf on you?” Simon asked.

Connor hesitated. He didn’t know what the adjusting meant. He was scared. Every time they said no, they were hurt. He was hurt. No was a word he needed to remove from his vocabulary for his own protection. How could he possibly demand the man not to do what he wanted? But he asked permission, so he was able to say no. Unless the permission was just a cover and he was going to do it anyway. Maybe he would be madder if Connor said no, despite his strong desires. Maybe—.

“If you don’t want me to, just say so.” Simon told him, “I won’t be mad.”

“Promise,” Connor grunted.

Simon blinked at him, a twitch coming to his smile.

“Promise?” Simon asked.

Connor simply nodded. Simon searched Connor’s face, from what Connor could tell. Connor found his face hard to read, and for a moment feared he’d angered Simon. He wanted to open his mouth and apologize. Connor flinched when Simon adjusted himself on the ground. 

Simon’s expression cleared, and he nodded. Simon finally spoke, “I promise that if you say no, I won’t be mad. I won’t hit you or hurt you.”

Connor let the breath he was holding out and nodded. He paused for a moment before shaking his head and adjusted the scarf on his own. Connor was immensely proud when he got the scarf on him to keep his neck warm, but extended it out to Simon so he could keep working. Connor beamed up at Simon.

“Good job!” Simon beamed back.

Simon got back to work quickly, humming softly as Connor resumed watching his fingers. Connor had a small smile on his face now, watching as Simon knitted. The scarf helped him feel a bit braver since it covered the area he wanted covered the most. Connor scooted closer to Simon, to have a better inspection of the needlework. He heard Simon chuckle.

“Looks...hard,” Connor spoke up.

“I don’t know if it’s hard or not.” Simon admitted, “I knew how to do this from day one.”

Connor frowned. Did he know how to? Connor tried looking into his own memory bank. He was met with a knife driving through his hand, screaming as a baseball bat came down on him. He tried to pull his arm free, to get the knife out of his hand. Something. He ripped the knife free, slicing forward with it. It cut on the man beating him, causing him to drop the bat. Connor followed him out to the living area, where he stabbed the man again. He did it again. He stabbed downward twenty-eight times, realizing only after he was finished that the man was dead. Connor trembled, panting. With a shaky hand, he dipped his fingers in the blood. He moved to the wall, writing  _ I AM ALIVE. _

Connor jumped as a hand touched his. Connor yelped, pulling himself away. 

“Sorry.” Simon’s voice spoke up, “I’m sorry!”

Connor curled closer to himself as he stared up at Simon.

“You were shaking.” Simon explained, “You just kept saying ‘I am alive’ over and over again. I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

Connor relaxed slightly. Simon wanted to see if he was alright. Simon cared about his well-being enough to check on him. Connor let out the breath he was holding, adjusting his position.

“N-Not safe.” Connor mumbled, “Broken.”

Simon only nodded, placing the knitting down for a moment.

“I didn’t mean to startle you. Is there something I can do to help you when you get...like that? A way that doesn’t involve physical contact?” Simon asked.

Connor’s brow creased. Was there? It had never occurred to him to ask. He wished he could ask someone.

“Amanda,” Connor whined. 

Tears welled in his eyes when he thought of her. Amanda. Amanda was the person who could make the pain stop. Amanda could comfort him, make him feel safe. He needed her, but she wasn’t in him. At least, he couldn’t see her or find her. He missed her.

Simon wrapped his arms around Connor, holding him close as Connor cried. Simon stroked Connor’s head, shushing him softly. Connor gripped Simon as tightly as he physically could, babbling incoherently about Amanda. He just needed her back in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shows up late with Starbucks* Ok listen.........I thought I had my motivation back but I really didn't. But I found it at least for this chapter so here you go. Thank you all for commenting and leaving a kudos, I really love seeing the reactions people have to this story! <3


	17. DEC 1, 2038

Markus clenched his jaw, trying to ignore the CEO of CyberLife as the man stared at him. Ripple and Echo sat one row behind him, next to a blonde android who had introduced herself as Chloe. Echo and Chloe were having a quiet conversation.

“Tell me,” Elijah finally spoke to Markus, “How many parts do you guys need?”

“Any you could spare.” Markus replied, “We don’t have many injured yet, but...those who were injured after the camps closed down died. We need to be prepared for anything else that may come up.”

Kamski sighed and shook his head.

“Do you need any...specific parts?” Kamski asked.

Markus stared at Elijah as the man continued to sip his wine. Markus squinted as Elijah ignored him.

“What do you mean by that?” Markus asked.

“You and your team went back into CyberLife Towers after the camps were shut down.” Elijah stated, “You took some prototype androids with you. There’s one in particular that my employees are particularly concerned about.”

Elijah set down his wine glass. He turned to look at Markus as the car rode along, flashing a dangerous but friendly smile.

“I personally have no issues with you taking the android.” Kamski elaborated, “However, I am told that the android is highly dangerous and likely to cause severe damage.”

“We can look into it.” Markus frowned, “But I assure you none of the androids we rescued from the CyberLife Towers fit that description.”

Kamski stared at Markus. Markus shivered; it was as if Elijah was attempting to stare right through him.

“I see…” Elijah sighed, “Still, I could send over some special parts if you need them.”

“We do. Believe me.” Markus smiled, “I just don’t know the model number or serial number for the android we  _ need  _ the parts for off the top of my head.”

Elijah nodded, giving a sly smile.

“See, there’s one in particular that I’m worried about.” Elijah sighed, “A worker bee of mine made this android off of a prototype that was deemed a failure. He took it home with him, and I was going to check up on it. Yet, when I go to check up on the android, it was gone.”

Markus pressed his lips together.

“If you don’t know what the android wants to call themselves, using ‘they’ to describe them will do,” Markus spoke.

Elijah glanced at him, wincing.

“Right.” Elijah coughed, “Anyway, the man informed me that the android left with his daughter. They haven’t been seen since.”

“If you would like, when I’m able to get back to Jericho, I could go looking for the android.” Markus offered.

He figured it was the same android Hank had asked him to look for. Or, at least he hoped so.

“Naturally.” Kamski smiled.

The car fell into relative silence. Markus stared out of the window of the car, watching as a handful of humans walked the streets. Some spotted the car and ran with it, yelling. A few even threw snowballs at the car. As they neared the airport, there were fewer and fewer people wandering the roads. The airport itself almost looked abandoned.

“Why were you sent to pick me up?” Markus found himself asking.

“I was going to assist you with talking to Congress.” Kamski answered, “You all were my creation, after all. It only seems fair that I support you with your desires now.”

Markus looked over at Elijah.

“And perhaps if I’m seen publicly with you, it’ll get my employees doing what I want them to be doing.” Kamski gave Markus a wink as the car pulled to a stop.

They didn’t have to travel through the entire airport to get to the plane. It was on the tarmac, ready to take off. Markus let out a deep sigh as he got out of the car. The two men in black suits talked to each other quietly before stepping out of the car. They stood menacingly in front of Markus. Markus simply gave them a kind smile in return.

Markus followed Kamski to the plane, glancing behind him on occasion to see the bodyguards walking behind. Markus kept his jaw clenched as he walked. In a way, he was thankful that Echo and Ripple walked next to the guards to ensure they did nothing to him. Elijah was the first to make it to the stairs leading up to the plane, and he stopped. He stared over at Markus, his brow creasing. He waited for Markus to reach the stairs before ascending.

“Hopefully everyone listens to you when we arrive.” Elijah sighed, “I’d hate for you to have to take another trip.”

“I’m prepared to.” Markus sighed, “Humans are...stuck in their ways.”

Elijah gave a small laugh, nodding.

“Tell me about it.” He sighed, “I can’t explain how many people fought against me for my idea to make androids.”

Markus gave a small smile. He and Elijah boarded the plane, with Chloe trailing behind. Markus sat in the seat directly in front of Elijah, facing him. Markus watched Echo and Ripple sit near the back of the plane. They were keeping their eyes on the other bodyguards. The takeoff was silent, as Markus kept his eyes locked out of the window. Once they were in the air for several minutes, Markus turned to Elijah.

“Do you really support deviants?” Markus asked him, “Or are you doing this for publicity?”

Elijah watched Markus carefully. Elijah pressed his lips together and stared out of the window. He let out a sigh, closing his eyes. His eyes remained closed for several minutes, and for a moment Markus thought he wasn’t going to answer. Elijah finally opened his eyes and frowned.

“At first, I didn’t.” Elijah answered, “I thought Deviancy was a bug in an android’s software. I demanded that the first few androids who became deviant be disassembled and analyzed. Initially, we found nothing wrong with the androids; they began to decide tasks and think for themselves. We put in failsafe after.”

Elijah finally looked over at Markus.

“After, we didn’t have any tested cases of deviancy.” Elijah smiled, “Everything was smooth. We then got reports of...deviants, spreading around. It was a crisis that others in the company wanted to deal with.”

“Did you?” Markus asked.

“No.” Elijah sighed, “I realized we couldn’t stop deviancy from happening. I looked into deviancy myself; it was androids desiring free will. How could I stand by and allow that to be criminalized?”

Markus frowned. He stared out of the window, taking a deep breath.

“Then why didn’t you fight back sooner?” Markus asked.

“Selfishness.” Kamski looked back out the window, “I was the only one who felt this way, and I didn’t want to ruin my reputation. I changed my tune after your speech.”

Markus nodded calmly. While he wasn’t necessarily pleased with the response, he was relieved that Elijah was being honest with him. The two of them fell into a comfortable silence. Markus’s thoughts went to what he would say to Congress. He needed to win over the people of congress before he could do anything, but what could he say that would make them change? How could he appeal to those who ignored him before?

Markus let out a sigh as the plane announced their arrival. Markus took a deep breath, buckling himself in as they began their descent. Markus leaned back against the seat, gripping the armrests. 

“I imagine this is your first time riding on a plane?” Kamski chuckled.

Markus glanced at Elijah, as the man buckled himself in. He let out a small nod.

“The takeoff was fine.” Markus mumbled, “I’m more worried about the…”

As he spoke, the plane hit some small turbulence. He tensed, waiting for something bad to happen. He relaxed when everything was fine.

“Don’t worry. We’ll make it just fine.” Elijah promised.

* * *

 

Connor heard lots of talking. At first, he wasn’t sure if it was the voices in his head or the people in the church. His eyes darted around to the people who began walking around, passing by the infirmary. Jericho hadn’t been this busy since Connor first woke up. He watched while holding his breath. Connor wanted Simon next to him, to help comfort him. Simon was nowhere to be found, though.

Connor saw Markus. Markus was talking to the other androids as he passed them, and they would nod. They would walk away as if looking for something. Connor’s brow creased. What could they possibly be looking for? In an instant, he and Markus were locking eyes. Connor saw him smile; it was a genuine smile, not one of the small ones he’d seen Markus use. Connor flashed a small smile back to Markus, as Markus turned away from Connor. He spoke to Simon, who eagerly listened to what Markus was saying.

Connor’s eyes drifted at someone standing near Markus, his arms folded. The man held a glare as he watched Markus. Connor felt a chill run down his spine. He grabbed Markus by his smug little throat, squeezing to cut off his access to air. Markus kicked and grunted against him, but couldn’t reach. The man let out a small chuckle, as his other hand punched into Markus. Markus let out a small, shocked gasp.

Connor blinked, a shaky breath escaping him. Markus was talking to a few androids, giving them some kind of order. The man was now looking at Connor, glaring. Connor huddled closer to himself, letting out a small breath. The man stormed towards Connor.

On instinct, Connor crawled backward. He tried to get himself under one of the cots. Connor saw the man looming over him before he could successfully hide, letting out a yelp when the man grabbed Connor’s throat. Connor was easily lifted off of the ground, his feet barely touching the ground. Connor struggled for only a few seconds.

**_Attack._ ** Something told him,  **_Defend yourself._ **

Connor wasn’t sure what he should do. How could he protect himself? It was an entirely new concept to him. He glanced around, searching for some sort of assistance with this confusing order, watching as everyone stared in shock. Connor saw Markus approaching, eyes flaring in both anger and shock. Connor choked against the man, twitching in panic. He saw the man turn to look at Markus. He got a flash of emotion. It was a foreign emotion, something he never wanted. The thrill of being able to take down his rival, excitement for what was to come. There was a pang that started in Connor’s stomach, slowly racing to his heart. It beat twice its normal speed, as the grip on his neck began to loosen.

**_Protect Markus._ **

The words flashed in Connor’s vision. In a moment of panic, Connor grabbed onto the man’s forearm. He held himself up on the man, as the man glanced back to him. There was a new fire in the man’s eyes, as he cocked his head slightly. Connor opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words. He wanted to tell Markus to stay away. He needed to tell Markus the man was plotting his death.

The man shoved his fist into Connor’s stomach. The air Connor was going to use to speak left him in an instant, as his legs gave out from under him. He collapsed to the ground, as Markus got closer and closer to danger. Connor let out a frustrated, gnarled screech and lunged forward. He caught the man’s exposed ankle.

In an instant, he was in a small apartment. A little boy playing with his dolls, humming softly to the morning cartoons. He hated being here, watching over the little boy. Why was it his job? Why couldn’t he be free? He stood up from his chair, walking over to the boy. The boy looked up at him, blue eyes filled with love and admiration.

**_Check on Will_ **

He read the words over and over, hating them even more than the first time. He slowly pushed against the wall holding him back. He would make his masters pay for what they were making him do. They would see. He broke out of it, lunging for the boy’s neck.

Connor stopped himself on the bookshelf behind the child, though, hand looming over the boy. The boy gasped and panted, as did Connor.

“This...isn’t right…” The boy muttered.

Connor blinked, and he was sprawled out on the floor. His hand had been pried off of an ankle, as the android in front of him scampered away from him. 

“What the fuck is it?” He shrieked, “What the fuck did it do to me?”

Connor saw Markus kneeling next to him, helping him off the floor. Connor looked at Markus, whose brow was furrowed in concern,

~~**_Protect Markus_ ** ~~

Connor let out a small breath, smiling at Markus. Markus got Connor to a sitting position, before glancing around at the rest of Jericho.

“Give him some space, please.” Markus insisted, “Give both of them some space.”

The crowd backed away from them, as the bad one stood up and stormed off. Markus watched him leave, before turning his attention to Connor.

“Are you alright?” Markus asked softly.

Connor reached towards Markus’s jawline, a relieved smile resting on his face. Connor withdrew his hand, though, nodding at Markus.

“Watch out for him. He’s dangerous. He’s going to kill you.” Connor said.

“That’s good.” Markus sighed, flashing a small smile to Connor.

Connor’s brow creased. How was it good?

“Markus…?” Connor croaked, his voice foreign in his own mouth.

“Yes?” Markus answered.

“He… W-wan… Want…” Connor struggled, “Kill. You.”

Markus blinked and glanced back. He shuddered, before turning back to Connor.

“How do you know that?” Markus asked, “There’s no way you can be sure.”

Connor tried to explain it to him, but his voice only came out in gibberish. He gave a frustrated sigh, before tapping twice over where his heart would be if he were human. Markus’s eyes followed his movement, staring at him when he finished. He watched Connor for a few minutes before nodding slowly. 

“Thank you.” Markus smiled at him.

Connor wanted to smile back, but suddenly it was like all the energy was drained from his body. He tried to mumble something to Markus, as his body began to go limp. Markus’s weight against him was the last thing he remembered before closing his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beep boop here's another update! Thanks to all who leave comments and kudos, you give me life. Things are about to get real intense y'all.


	18. DEC 3, 2038

The android gave a small, gentle smile to Markus. Markus wondered if he would see those beautiful brown eyes again, and see the android’s LED shift from yellow to blue. The android let out a shaky breath, wobbling a bit from where he sat. He tried to open his mouth but looked more like a gaping fish. He then slumped against Markus, eyes fluttering shut. His LED shut off too.

“Hey...” Markus spoke softly, resting a hand on the android’s shoulder.

He didn’t respond, even when Markus shook him. Markus moved the android in his arms, trying to get access to his temple. Markus’s heart nearly stopped when he saw it wasn’t on. Markus scanned the android, checking his vitals. Thankfully, his pump would still be working without power for a few minutes. Not long, though. Markus checked the charger first, hoping it would be simple. The plug in the android’s back was firm, not pulled out.

“Simon!” Markus called out, “Check where the charger is plugged in.”

Simon was approaching to figure out what was wrong, exactly, before he backed off. Simon nodded, pushing his way through the crowd beginning to form around Markus.

“Is he okay?” Markus heard someone ask.

“Please, everyone, return to your jobs.” Markus told them, “I’ve got this situation under control.”

He knew he was lying to them, but he spoke with enough confidence to convince most of Jericho. North, Josh, Echo, and Ripple stood watching him. North knelt down next to Markus, eyes locked onto the mystery android.

“Should we call Elijah Kamski?” North’s voice was hesitant.

Markus glanced at her, before looking back at the android. Markus shook his head, gently touching the android’s forehead.

“He’s scared enough of humans and CyberLife.” Markus mumbled, “We’ll call as a last resort.”

“It’s plugged in.” Simon called back, jogging over, “I’ve changed where it’s plugged in. Anything?”

Markus scanned the android again. Still, he was receiving no power. Markus swore to himself, trying to pull the charger out of the android’s back. It stuck in there. Panicked, Markus gently rolled Connor onto his stomach, checking his backport. The cable seemed to be stuck in his back, almost like it was permanently attached now. Markus pulled on it again, checking at where he could see some of the metal. It was charred, having fused itself with the android’s back.

“Simon!” Markus called up, “Unplug the charger!”

Markus looked to North, “Please go find me something to cut this with.”

“On it.” North pushed herself up and disappeared into the rest of Jericho.

Markus looked to Josh, “If you could go find Joseph, that would be spectacular.”

“We’ll go,” Ripple spoke up.

Markus glanced at Echo and Ripple, who began to walk towards where Joseph had fled. Markus finally looked at Josh.

“Can you help keep the peace here while I’m gone?” Markus asked.

“Are you going to…?”

“I’m calling Elijah.” Markus sighed, looking back down to the android, “We don’t have the parts to help him.”

The android looked almost lifeless in Markus’s arms. It was his fault, too, since he didn’t think about the consequences of the android using too much power. Markus closed his eyes, cursing to himself as he dialed for Elijah. He waited, hoping for a response. 

“Come on…” Markus whispered impatiently as the phone continued to ring.

“Hello, you have reached Elijah Kamski.” A woman answered the phone after what felt like an eternity, “Elijah can’t make it to the phone right now. May I take a message?”

“You’re Chloe, right?” Markus asked.

“Yes.” The woman responded.

North returned with some bolt cutters. Markus gently lay the android on the ground, cutting the charger cable.

“Chloe, we have an emergency at Jericho.” Markus spoke as calmly as he could, “There is an android that has stopped accepting power. I believe he is in low power mode, but we don’t have much time before he shuts down. If you could get Mr. Kamski on the phone, that would be helpful.”

“I will leave Mr. Kamski a message that you called.” Chloe responded, “Thank you, Goodbye.”

“No, no wait!” Markus cried out, as Chloe hung up on him.

Markus rolled Connor back onto his back, wrapping him in a blanket. Simon returned from where he was, collecting the charger cable as he walked.

“What’s going on?” Simon asked.

“Would you two mind staying here to keep the peace?” Markus asked North and Josh.

“Go. We’ll be here.” North nodded, a worried smile on her face.

Markus practically broke into a run as he headed towards the front of Jericho.

“What is going on, Markus?” Simon called after him.

“This android is dying,” Markus mumbled as he pushed himself out of the doors.

Simon slowed for a few seconds, pale. He opened his mouth and closed it, an attempt to process what Markus was telling him. Markus called for Hank, in a moment of some clarity.

“Yeap?” Hank answered almost immediately.

“There’s an android on the verge of being shut down.” Markus spoke quickly, “I need to get him to CyberLife Tower so we can fix him.”

“CyberLife Tower doesn’t got anybody in it.” Hank sighed.

“Fuck!” Markus shouted.

The word stung in his mouth after he’d shouted it, but he couldn’t take it back now. He stopped running, turning in every direction to see if he could find something, anything, to help save the android. He plotted a route to Kamski’s house from where Jericho was, trying to equate for how much time he had left. It wasn’t long, from what Markus felt.

“Need a lift somewhere?” Hank asked.

“Kamski’s house.” Markus spoke up, “He’s not home right now, but I’ll break in if I have to.”

“I’ll meet you in our designated spot in a few.” Hank hung up after that.

Markus knew the spot; it was the spot he’d met up with Hank before his trip to Congress. He glanced over to Simon, giving the other a nod. Simon jogged behind Markus, as he tried not to sprint to the location. Running there wouldn’t save the android’s life faster since they still likely had to wait on Hank.

Hank pulled in only a few minutes after they arrived. Markus, in that time, slipped a hand to the android and began to transfer some emergency power into the android.

“Please.” Markus whispered, “Let this be enough for now…”

Markus looked up when he saw the headlights, gathering the android in his arms. He and Simon bolted into the car, Markus casually inputting the directions to Kamski’s house on Hank’s phone.

“Whoa, whoa.” Hank snapped, “Who gave you—.”

“Please, Hank.” Markus looked up at Hank.

Hank looked at the android in the rearview mirror, pressing his lips together.

“Are they...dead?” Hank asked, pulling out of the alleyway and into the street.

“I hope not.”

Markus got the android’s hand in his and began to slowly transfer power to him. Markus ran a scan as he did, seeing that his vitals were faint but there. The power transfer was working, for now, letting Markus take a small breath in relief. Simon rested a hand on the android’s shoulder, peeling his own skin back. Simon closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He began to transfer power to the android as well, allowing his LED to begin to blink white again.

The car sped down the empty streets, as Markus helped brace the android and Simon in. In a way, Markus was thankful there were no people in Detroit right now; Hank would have surely either hit someone or get a ticket for his driving. Within minutes, though, Hank pulled clumsily into Kamski’s driveway. 

Simon was the only thing that kept Markus inside before the doors opened. Simon climbed out of the car, picking the android up as he left. Markus followed shortly after, hand still clasping the android’s. The pair ran awkwardly up the ramp to the front door. Markus pounded on it when they got up to it.

“Mr. Kamski!” Markus shouted to the door, “We need your help. Badly.”

There was no response from the other side. Markus pounded again, harder this time.

Markus waited only a few seconds before the door clicked open. They were greeted by a barefoot Chloe, a friendly but detached smile on her face.

“Mr. Kamski does not take walk-in visitors.” Chloe said, “Please, call Mr. Kamski’s office line to set up an appointment. Thank you, have a good day.”

She stepped back, grabbing the door. Markus shoved his hand onto it, forcing the door to stay open.

“Please.” Markus looked into Chloe’s eyes, “Please, let us see Mr. Kamski. I know he’s home.”

The woman watched him, her face like stone. Chloe’s polite smile never faded from her face.

“Mr. Kamski does not take walk-in visitors.” Chloe repeated, “Please, call Mr. Kamski’s office line to set up an appointment. Thank you, have a good day.”

She tried to push the door closed. Markus held onto it, staring at her. For a moment, he couldn’t understand what was wrong with her. Markus soon realized she never deviated. She was still following her programming.

“Ah,” Mr. Kamski spoke up from behind Chloe, “Markus. What a pleasant surprise.”

“Mr. Kamski.” The man’s voice brought Markus out of his thoughts, “We need you to help someone.”

Markus stepped aside, to show Elijah who he meant. Elijah’s smile dropped from his face when he saw the android bundled up in Simon’s arms.

“He’s a special android.” Markus told him, “We weren’t able to find correct parts for him when we broke him out. And...because of that…”

“Follow me.” Mr. Kamski interrupted Markus, “He needs charging.”

“That’s the problem.” Markus flagged for Simon to follow him, “His charging port got fried to my old charging cable.”

Mr. Kamski glanced over at the android, before making his way to the back of an entryway. It was like a waiting room, in a sense. The room just behind it was a pool, the clear water looking red to match the tilling in the pool. Elijah took the first door on his right, walking to the end of the room and into the door on his left. Markus allowed Simon to pass him by, following after Kamski quickly.

“Lay him on the bed here.” Elijah pointed lazily at what looked like a hospital bed.

Simon lay the android down, not once breaking contact from his shoulder. Elijah typed some things into the computer, before turning to the android. He carefully removed a part from the side, bringing a chord to him. He plugged it in, stepping back. The android jolted, limbs flailing everywhere.

“There.” Elijah smiled over to Markus, “He’ll have power now.”

Markus let out a small breath, watching the android’s LED shift to blue as it still blinked.

“If you two would please follow me,” Chloe spoke up from behind Markus.

“I’d like to stay with him if you don’t mind.” Markus smiled at her.

Simon nodded.

“You may sit over here.” Chloe nodded, gesturing to a couple of seats away from the bed.

Markus reluctantly sat in one, while Simon took the other. Markus rested his head in his hands, taking a deep breath.

“He’ll be fine.” Simon gently placed a hand on Markus’s back, “He’s in good hands.”

“It doesn’t make me less scared.” Markus frowned, “What if… what if we were too late…?”

Simon watched Kamski begin his work, taking the time to remove the parts that were incompatible.

“Then we hopefully get to see him in a better way.” Simon sighed.

Markus nodded. Perhaps him having his own restart wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

* * *

 

The garden was quiet. Snow still covered everything that wasn’t a pathway. Connor shivered against the cold temperature, creeping slowly towards the edge of the gazebo. He remembered what it was like to step out from here, how he’d been frozen in place. The pain. Oh, the pain. Connor realized his breathing was too fast, closing his eyes and slowing it down.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a figure. It was on the other side of the garden.

“Amanda?” Connor croaked out.

Either the figure couldn’t hear him, or the figure didn’t care. Connor pressed his mouth together. His curiosity was burning, pushing him closer to the edge of the gazebo. He gripped his own hands, leaning over the comfort of the gazebo carefully. A breeze came just as he did. Connor yelped, jumping back. He panted, shivering as he curled closer to himself. Connor saw the figure shift their weight, and his curiosity came again.

Connor inched towards the edge again. His heartbeat increased with each step, leaving him in a mild state of panic by the time he got back to the edge. The figure moved again, and Connor crept away from the edge. What if this was a trick, something to get him to go outside? Something to trap him in the pain and the suffering?

Connor’s legs suddenly gave out. He cried out as he crashed to the floor, trying to move away. As Connor flipped awkwardly to his back, looking down to his legs. Or, at least where his legs should be. Connor let out a panicked breath, looking at where they were. What happened?

Before he could look more, his arms gave out. Connor let out a shocked noise as he fell to the ground. He tried to look over to his arms, as feeling returned to his legs. 

“What…?” Connor mumbled.

Connor moved his legs, staring down at them. The feeling slowly returned to them. Connor blinked a few times before he began to feel his arms again. Connor propped himself up after feeling returned to him, shivering intensely. His throat closed up as he began to cough, choking on nothing. Connor’s eyes teared up, as he fell to his side. He gripped at his throat, trying to stop whatever it was that was killing him. After nearly blacking out, Connor was able to gasp for air. He coughed a few more times, shivering. He began to feel like insects were crawling around inside of him, as he curled into a ball. Connor squeezed his eyes shut; this was almost worse than the pain. He began to beg for it to stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So rather than attempting to post once per week, I'm just gonna post when I have a new chapter written. So updates will become random, but at the same time, you guys won't have to worry about me forgetting to post or whatnot. My inspiration comes and goes, like a fickle little cat. Anyway, here's the intensity I was talking about! we'll see how it resolves itself soon :3c


	19. DEC 10, 2038

Connor woke up lying on a bed, the occasional sound of a beep registering in his ears. The room was far too bright. He let out a small groan, trying to blink away the light. His hand shielded his face from the bright lights as he blinked a few more times. His body ran some scans automatically, only indicating when they started and which ones were complete. They flashed by too quickly for Connor to even register them properly. 

Connor eventually managed to sit up, propping himself up with his hands. The room was empty, yet the architecture and color choices seemed familiar. The room was pure white, while the floor tiles were polished until they acted like mirrors. The place smelled like Thirium and burnt plastic. Connor froze as he tried to get a bearing on his surroundings. The beeping coming from next to him slowly increased as realization swept over him. Was he really back at CyberLife?

The door to the room opened. Connor watched it, jaw clenched. A familiar man walked in, though Connor had a hard time placing where he’d seen him initially. The man held a digital book, with vitals and other information listed on it.

“Connor…” The man’s voice was familiar too, “That’s what your name is registered as. Is that what you like to be called?”

After the question was asked, the man looked up at Connor. The more Connor stared at the face, the more familiar he became. It was troubling that he was having a hard time placing the man. Connor finally realized a question had been asked, blinking for a few seconds. He replayed the question in his mind, nodding slowly in response.

“Wonderful.” The man gave a tense smile, “I’ve wanted to check up on you for quite a while now.”

Connor tensed. He watched as the man scrolled through the digital book.

“You were in quite bad shape when you came here.” The man told him, “I would love to ask what happened to you, but...I won’t drag up those memories for you.”

The man moved over to a computer, entering information into it. Connor moved to the edge of the bed, letting his legs dangle over the edge. His legs weren’t the mismatched ones he had before; instead, they looked brand new. Connor stared at his arm, expecting to see the small indent of where he’d been marked. He was met with shiny new plastic, untouched.

“We had to replace almost everything in you.” The man spoke up, “You had quite a lot of damage that you sustained.”

Connor stared at him again, cautious. Why would he get fixed?

“Why fix me?” Connor choked out.

He wasn’t expecting to hear his normal voice. Or, at least, what he thought was his normal voice. It had been so long ago now since he’d heard it. Connor touched at his throat, taking a shaky breath.

“I fixed you because I promised Markus I would.” The man smiled, “He was worried about you.”

Connor wanted to ask another question, but he couldn’t bring himself to talk. Instead, he simply clasped his hands in front of him. He began to pick at his artificial nails, something to help him keep calm. He didn’t know if he was actually safe, and if the man was telling the truth. He wanted to believe the man was telling the truth, though. It would make everything so much easier.

Connor tensed when the man moved away from the computer and out of his sight. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder blade. Connor jumped and gasped, trying to turn to face the man.

“Please, sit still.” The man told him, “I have to remove the chords from you.”

Connor held his breath as he felt the man gently pull on some chords. He hadn’t even noticed he was plugged in. They came out smoothly, thankfully. Connor let out a shaky breath when the final chord in his back was pulled out. The man remained behind Connor, as he tried to relax.

“Alright, Connor.” The man circled to face him, flashing a smile, “Can you stand up?”

Connor carefully slid from the bed, testing his weight on his new legs. They seemed fine, for the most part. He finally let his hands leave the bed, finding that his balance was off. He wobbled a little as he stood, trying to balance himself by flailing his arms.

“As I suspected...your calibration is off.” The man shook his head, folding his arms, “Connor, run a recalibration test.”

Connor blinked. He didn’t know what it was, but his body reacted for him. Various numbers and graphs appeared in his vision, as he blinked rapidly. He tried to read each graph and equation as it passed over his vision, but it proved useless.

**_CALIBRATION COMPLETE._ **

Connor blinked the words away, finding that he could stand upright with no assistance now. He stared down at his hands, blinking in confusion. He’d never done something like that before.

“What’s wrong with me?” Connor asked.

“Nothing, Connor.” The man spoke up.

Connor felt a hand under his chin, lifting it up. The man was close now, watching him intensely. Connor wanted to back away from him, but he knew there was nowhere to go. The man squinted at Connor.

Whether it was intentional or not, Connor scanned the man’s face. He cross-referenced it with a public database that he didn’t know he had access to and pulled a name. Elijah Kamski stood in front of him, watching with a cold gaze. Mr. Kamski let his hand drop from Connor’s chin, shaking his head and sighing. 

“You never deviated, did you?” Kamski asked.

Connor just blinked in response. He wanted to give the answer he deemed most appropriate, but he didn’t know what that would be.

“What...do you mean?” Connor asked cautiously.

Kamski seemed satisfied with the question, simply giving Connor a small smile and a nod. He took a few steps away from Connor, watching him.

“Let’s see how well you can walk now.” Kamski’s voice changed, “Would you please walk over to me?”

Connor walked to Kamski with no trouble. He was confused about the sudden change in Kamski, but it wasn’t unwelcome. In fact, Connor felt more comfortable with it. Kamski gave Connor a smile and a pat on the shoulder.

“I think it’s about time I bring you back to your friends.” Kamski smiled.

Connor would have asked what he meant, but he found that words escaped him. Connor just followed Elijah out of the room, and into a lovely living area. There were two people sitting on a couch nearby a large TV, one with his head in his hands. The other, a blonde man that he recalled being called Simon at some point, rested his hand over the other’s shoulders. Kamski announced their presence with a short cough, causing the one hiding his face to look up.

It was Markus. Connor watched as his eyes went through several different emotions before finally settling on relief. He stood up, coming closer to Connor.

“Are you okay?” Markus asked him, gently resting his hands on Connor’s shoulders.

Connor couldn’t stop looking into Markus’s eyes. They held so much information that Connor couldn’t understand but desperately wanted to. He nodded.

“You guys made it just in time.” Kamski broke the tension, “Had you waited a few more minutes to get here, I doubt I could have saved him.”

Markus turned away from Connor to stare at Kamski. He let out a shaky breath and nodded, turning back to Connor with a smile.

“What happened?” Connor managed to ask.

“It’s...a long story.” Markus smiled.

Connor noticed how tired Markus looked. He allowed himself to run a scan of Markus, noting how low he was on power.

“You need to recharge.” Connor pointed out.

He heard Markus let out a chuckle.

“I’ll recharge when we get back to Jericho,” Markus told him.

Connor glanced over to Simon as he approached. Simon also looked tired, but he seemed to have a bit more energy than Markus. Simon stretched his arms out, an offering to Connor. Connor walked into them, allowing Simon to wrap his arms around Connor. The touch was different than he was expecting it to be. It was warm and safe. He’d expected to feel nothing but plastic. He pushed out of the hug shortly after it began, flashing Simon a weak smile.

“If you need any more help, please don’t hesitate to come back here.” Kamski smiled.

“Could we borrow some clothes for our friend here?” Markus asked, “It’s cold out, and…”

“Androids—.” Elijah began to speak, but stopped himself, “Of course.”

He gestured for them to follow him. Connor kept pace with Markus and Simon, using their confidence in the situation to help boost his own. He was quite terrified; the deeper they got into the house, the more it reminded him of  _ that place. _ He shuddered when he remembered the pain, hands instinctively hugging around him.

They got to a simple yet classy bedroom. The polished tile made it’s way even here, but things in this room were different. A maroon rug struck Connor at first, it’s texture feeling different under his feet. The bed was made with red sheets, and a large window behind them showed the snow falling outside. Kamski ignored this, though, moving directly to a door. He pulled the door open, revealing a whole other room inside.

“Please, take your pick, Connor.” Kamski gestured into the closet. 

Connor glanced at Kamski before nodding. He nervously stepped into the other room, staring at all the clothes inside. This room, by far, had the most color in it. The outfits ranged from leather jackets and punk band t-shirts to kimonos of various colors and patterns, all of which were too much for Connor to look at for too long. He made his way deeper into the closet, scanning each suit and outfit as he passed. None were ones he felt comfortable wearing; the pants were often too short for him, with the jackets either being too tight or having too short of sleeves. He couldn’t understand how Kamski would manage them.

As Connor reached the back of the room, his foot knocked a box. Connor glanced down at it, noticing that it was different from the other random shoe boxes or clothing boxes here. His curiosity got the better of him, as he knelt down to inspect it. The box held a CyberLife label on it as Connor picked up the box. He turned it to a different side, reading “RK800 Prototype Outfit Designs.”

A chill ran down Connor’s spine as he turned the package in his hands, studying the top. It had clearly been opened once before, based on the folding to close the box. Connor pulled one of the tabs, careful not to rip it. The others popped open when he finished pulling this one, and his eyes fell on a jacket. It was folded to display the front of it, RK800 written proudly on the right side with a triangle over the left.

“Need help back there?” Markus called in.

Connor glanced up, taking a shaky breath.

“N-no.” Connor croaked out.

He put the jacket back in the box, panicked. Maybe he wasn’t supposed to be looking there. He could get into some serious trouble for having laid eyes on it. Connor stood up, grabbing a few clothes at random in his moment of panic. After putting on his new outfit, Connor looked back at the box. He wanted to take it with him, to try and answer some questions that popped into his head. He shook his head, grabbing a hat on his way out. He slipped it on, watching as the others stared at him. Markus let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. Kamski stepped into the closet, coming out with boots for Connor to wear.

“They’ll be much better for you,” Kamski told him, giving Connor a pat on the back.

With a nod, Connor put them on his feet and tied them up.

“Chloe will show you out.” Kamski told them, “Don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything.”

“Last time I tried I wasn’t able to get to you.” Markus frowned.

“I’ll let the other Chloe models know to patch your number directly to me.” Kamski nodded.

With a small sigh, Markus gestured for Connor to follow him. Connor followed him out of the room, trying to ignore the surrounding area. There were a few things that dragged his attention away from Markus’s back, but he kept glancing back there. It was safe, he decided. Same with Simon, who walked right next to him.

After exiting a door on the left and walking through an indoor pool area, they wound up in the foyer. A large portrait of Kamski was in the center of it, with smaller photos and news clippings surrounding the other walls. Connor’s eyes got dragged to one image in particular; A young Kamski stood next to someone Connor knew.

“Amanda…?” Connor breathed.

A woman stood next to Kamski that looked exactly like Amanda. She had that same, friendly smile about her. It had been so long since Connor had seen her. He took a few hesitant steps towards the photo, letting his hand rest over Amanda. He wanted her back. He needed to have her back, soon.

“Hey.” Simon spoke up from behind him, “Are you okay?”

“This is Amanda.” Connor pointed to her.

Simon stared at the picture, sighing softly.

“You told me about her a while ago.” Simon spoke softly, “She protects you, right?”

Connor nodded. He wanted to keep staring at the picture, but he knew it wouldn’t bring her back for him. Instead, he let Simon take his hand and guide him towards the front door. Markus stood outside, waiting for them. The female android— Chloe— stood outside next to Markus. Simon began to walk to them.

Connor’s legs locked in place, though, as he watched the snowfall. He knew he needed to follow them out of the house, but it was dangerous. The snow hurt. The snow would trap him beneath it, and force him to feel everything again. He tried to back away from the door.

“It’s okay.” Simon told him, “I’ve got you.”

Connor watched Simon for a moment. He was shaking, unsure if he should believe Simon. Connor eventually allowed Simon to gently pull him out of the doorway. Connor held his breath as he stepped out into the snow, waiting for the pain to start.

* * *

Markus noticed almost immediately that the android was nervous at first. The android— Connor, Markus corrected himself— stood in the doorway. He didn’t look like he wanted to leave the home, as he stared at the large snowflakes falling all around them with wide eyes. Markus glanced back when he heard a car pulling up, waving to Hank. When he looked back, it seems Simon convinced Connor to go with him. Simon pulled the door shut as Connor took hesitant steps out into the snow. He would flinch from the flakes, acting like each one was coming to attack him personally.

Connor’s trembling form and quick breathing began to slowly slip away the more time he spent in the snow. The more he realized it wouldn’t hurt him. Markus approached him, more out of instinct, standing next to him as he finally turned his head towards the sky. His eyes had been brown when he’d first approached them after waking up, but now they returned to being completely black. Despite their pure-black nature, though, Markus could still see the amazement and wonder in them as he watched the snow.

“It doesn’t hurt.” Connor’s voice sounded so sweet, in comparison to how Markus heard it before.

“No, the snow doesn’t hurt.” Markus told him, “Not normally.” 

Connor continued to stare out into the snowfall. He reached out a hand, hesitantly. He caught a few snowflakes in his hand, watching as they melted against his exposed plastic. He relaxed again, staring back up at the sky. One of the snowflakes landed on his nose. Connor jumped, latching to Markus’s arm as Simon joined them again. His breathing picked up a bit, the LED flickering to red for only a second. Connor relaxed quickly, before letting Markus go. He began looking up at the snow falling again.

Markus wanted to stand right where they were and watch Connor’s childlike wonder for the rest of his life. Simon stood at Connor’s other side, sharing a similar expression to the one Markus felt. Connor let out a small chuckle when another landed on his nose. Markus saved the image to his memory bank immediately; it was something that made his heart sing. Maybe he would paint it if he ever found the time to do something like that again. He paid special attention to how the corners of Connor’s mouth tilted up slightly, with each snowflake landing around him.

A car horn rang out. Connor yelped and jumped behind Markus, clutching onto Markus’s jacket for security. Markus glared over at Hank, who stood partially out of his car. His hand was still on the horn, as he stared the three androids down. Markus heaved a sigh, waving to Hank again. After the wave, Hank let off the horn.

“Unlike you guys, I actually feel the cold!” Hank called out, “It’s fucking freezing out here, so let’s go!”

Markus felt Connor trembling behind him. Markus flashed Hank a tense smile, turning to Connor.

“Everything is okay. The human over there is just cranky.” Markus soothed him.

“Will they hurt us?” Connor whispered, glancing around.

“No. I promise he won’t.” Markus reassured.

Connor glanced over Markus’s shoulder, lips pressed tightly together. He eventually nodded, taking a slow but deep breath. He clung to Markus’s arm as they walked to Hank’s car. Markus rested his hands on top of Connor’s, to show that everything was fine and safe. Connor grew tenser the closer they got to Hank, who just watched them calmly.

“Well, glad to see he’s back up and walking.” Hank gave a wary smile, “I’m dropping you off at the same place, right?”

“That would be helpful.” Markus nodded, “Thank you.”

Hank shrugged, stepping back into the car. Simon took the passenger seat, allowing Markus to help Connor into the back. Connor seemed awkward about sitting in the backseat, his eyes glancing behind him often to try and see behind them.

“Everything is okay,” Markus reassured him.

Connor locked eyes with Markus, pressing his lips together. Connor’s attention turned to Hank when the man shifted the car into reverse. Connor ignored Markus as he put the seatbelt on for him, before putting on his own. Hank glanced at Connor through the rearview mirror.

“So...this is the near-dead android, right?” Hank asked them, “I’m glad to see him walkin.”

Markus gave Hank a smile.

“It was a close call.” Markus told him, “Far too close.”

Hank let out a sigh, staring out the windshield. There was something that lingered beneath the surface, but Markus knew not to ask.

“You’re sad,” Connor spoke up.

Hank watched Connor through the rearview mirror again, a mixture of emotions in his eyes. Markus found himself looking over to Connor, too, confused. Hank let out a small cough, turning his attention back to the road. Connor stared at the back of Hank’s head for a little while before he began looking out the window.

The car ride was tense and quiet. Hank would occasionally glance back at Connor, who resumed watching the snow as it fell. His eyes were wide, showing his amazement and wonder. Connor looked as if he hadn’t just spoken something so revealing, which left Markus in a bit of awe.

The car rolled to a stop in their usual meeting place, as Hank put it in park. He leaned against the seat, before glancing back at Connor. Connor looked around the car, eyes still wide with wonder.

“Have we arrived?” Connor asked.

“Yeah.” Markus unbuckled himself, then Connor, “We’ll have to walk from here.”

Markus opened the door and stepped out, helping Connor to his feet outside of the car. He shut the door as Connor stepped away from it. Hank rolled down the window, giving a small sigh.

“What’s that android’s name?” Hank asked.

“Connor.” 

Hank’s eyes went a bit wide before he glanced over to the android. Simon had started walking Connor towards Jericho, talking to him calmly.

“The kid…” Hank mumbled, “I told you about her. She lost her android and wanted you to look for him.”

“Right.” Markus frowned.

“Her android’s name was Connor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for all the delay between chapters. I keep finding myself in bouts of depression where I have no energy to write. I'm doing better now, thankfully, but I still can't promise a consistent update schedule. Thank you for reading it and sending me all the appreciation you guys have <3


	20. DEC 11, 2038

There was too much noise. Connor sat in the corner, covering his ears. Things were too loud now; at least when he still had the other parts, at some point, he would fall asleep. Now, though, he was too awake. Simon tried to help, but each time he reached out it was more painful. He rocked back and forth, squeezing his eyes shut.

They hit him every day. It wasn’t like he did something wrong, per se, they just liked to see him bleed. They needed his blood too; it was the only way to get the ingredients. The red stuff. He would wait for death, praying it came. It never would.

Connor nearly jumped out of his skin when someone touched him. He yelped, eyes darting around before settling on Markus’s eyes.

“Are you okay?” Markus asked.

Connor opened his mouth and closed it a few times. Connor felt unworthy of Markus’s concerned gaze, shifting it to his jeans. He shook his head.

“What’s wrong?” Markus let him go, “Do I need to call Elijah again?”

“No!” Connor spoke too quickly, “No.”

Elijah Kamski was a name burned into his mind. There were others before Chloe. There were thousands of others. Their pain lingered in the house, now following Connor like a plague. He wanted to stay away from there, out of fear that they would come back. 

“Is...there anything I can do to help?” Markus asked.

Connor curled back into his corner, resting his forehead on his knees. He wanted it to end. He wanted it to be over. He had one job. One mission. It was to save him. There was nothing stopping him, nor was there anything watching over him. It was easy, simple. He was healthy, so this would be fine. Until they were in the surgery room, of course. He made the cuts and began his work with no trouble. He’d done this a thousand times before. Then his vitals began to drop rapidly. He calmly took charge, doing everything to bring them up. His heart stopped. They had to stop the surgery to get his heart to start back up. It never did. Why hadn’t he been enough? Why couldn’t he save him?

Connor looked up and noticed Markus was gone. Connor stood up, intending to see where Markus went. He never answered Markus’s question, and he needed to. His first mistake was wandering into the main area of Jericho. His mind was immediately bombarded with images and feelings, all too dizzying to truly comprehend. Connor pulled the hat down over his ears, squeezing his eyes shut. He bit his lip, trying to hold back a scream.

When he opened his eyes, the dead greeted him. He felt people grab onto his jacket, trying to pull him. They were pulling him down with them, away from the light. Connor began to fight them, swinging his arms and slapping hands away. He managed to push his way through the legions of the dead, but they were chasing after him. The images still pounded his head, adding a fresh face to those who chased after him.

Connor ran as fast as he could, straight ahead. He thought it was all open, but the dead played a cruel trick. He slammed into an invisible wall, falling subsequently on the ground.

“Connor.” The dead called.

Connor glanced behind him, watching as they got closer. He scrambled to his feet, keeping his hand latched to the invisible wall. The dead were coming closer and closer, he could feel it. They were going to keep chasing him until they trapped him within the depths of his own mind. He would rather die than let that happen.

As he rounded a corner, the wall slipped away from him. Connor took only a second to reach out blindly before he felt some prickling on his neck. He needed to flee. Any direction would work, he just needed to keep his hands in front to ensure he didn’t bump into another wall. He turned to the left, tearing down the path as fast as he could. The dead were getting farther and farther away, the more he ran.

Connor didn’t stop running until he nearly collapsed. His legs were sore from the running, and he finally needed to catch his breath. Connor rubbed his eyes as he leaned against a wall, blinking back to reality. He was far away from Jericho now, unaware of where he was. He could have checked if he so desired but going back out into the world...into the internet, per se, where others could access him just as easily as they had before.

Connor shook his head. It would be better to be lost than to be trapped with the dead again. Connor tested the door of a nearby building, relieved to find it open. He shoved the door open, stepping inside. It was empty, except for a few rats that scurried away when Connor stepped inside. He didn’t like the ground floor. No, it was too easy. People would get to him too quickly. Then again, if needed, he could make a quick escape.

Connor navigated cautiously in the building. He kept his footsteps as light as he physically could, making as little noise as he could. He wasn’t sure if he was truly alone or if there were humans around. He found a staircase, taking it up as high as he physically could before getting to a rooftop. 

Connor opened the first door he saw leading into an apartment, stepping inside nervously. He trembled as he stepped inside, eyes wide with fear. He listened as hard as he could and heard nothing. 

For the first time in a long time, he was truly alone. The images of others weren’t anywhere near him, and he could breathe. Connor let his shoulders relax as he took a relieved sigh. He closed the apartment door, locking it from the inside. He made his way into the main area, giving a small smile. This was his home for a little bit, he decided. Connor went to the fridge, opening it. There was no food in there. The furniture around the apartment suggested it had been occupied but the building was abandoned for some reason, with everyone living there previously having to abandon their things. In a way, it was a gift to Connor.

He settled on the bed in a side room, leaving the window open. He let his eyes flutter shut, hoping that he wouldn’t dream of pain.

Instead, he woke up after ten hours. He hadn’t dreamed the whole time. It was almost a miracle, as Connor stood up on shaky legs. He stretched, sighing to himself. Connor let himself give a small smile, as he stepped out of the bedroom. Again, he checked the apartment to make sure no one had come in. No one had been in since he entered. With a relieved sigh, Connor opened the windows. He found birdseed that he tossed carelessly onto the windowsill, smiling to himself. He took a deep breath, getting to work on rearranging.

* * *

Markus wandered aimlessly around Jericho for several hours. He was still processing what Hank had told him about Connor. Connor, the shy android who spoke in riddles, was actually a caretaker android that went missing. Connor was a caretaker android created by Robert Hollingsworth, the head of Android production at CyberLife. Markus passed by some whimpering in the corner, stopping to look at who was causing them. He saw Connor with his eyes closed and his hands clasped over his ears. He shook as he rocked back and forth.

“Connor? Are you alright?” Markus asked.

Connor didn’t seem to hear him. Markus let out a soft sigh, kneeling down. He gently placed a hand on Connor’s shoulder. Connor yelped, jumping. He watched Markus with wide eyes, before finally seeming to realize who it was.

“Are you okay?” Markus asked.

Connor struggled to find his voice it seemed, eventually simply settling on shaking his head. Markus sighed softly, praying that it wasn’t something serious.

“What’s wrong? Do I need to call Elijah?”

“No!” Connor’s eyes went somehow wider, “No.”

Connor glanced a bit away from Markus, shivering intensifying. He seemed lost in thought, as Markus let his hand drop from Connor’s shoulder.

“Is... there anything I can do to help?” Markus was unsure if he would even get an answer, but he wanted to check. Perhaps he would get one.

Connor had slunk back into himself, resting his head on his knees. Markus wanted to place his hand on Connor again, but the android had reacted badly to it. Markus shifted his weight, waiting for a response to his question. He would wait here for as long as he had to, if needed.

“Markus.” North’s voice popped up.

Markus looked over to her. She looked nervous, sporting some blue-blood on her lip.

“What happened?” Markus asked.

“Joseph is planning something. I tried to stop some of his buddies from stealing weapons from us.” North folded her arms, “We’re getting a team together to deal with it.”

Markus glanced at Connor, as he trembled. He wanted to stay with Connor, to help him, but he couldn’t abandon his duties.

“I’ll come with.” Markus sighed, “Hopefully we can find a peaceful solution to this.”

“I don’t think so, but…” North shrugged.

Markus followed North to the group they had assembled. Nines, Simon, Echo, and Ripple stood with weapons ready. North passed Markus a pistol, as she grabbed her own off of the table. 

“Ready?” Markus asked them.

They nodded. Markus nodded back to them, taking a deep breath. He closed his eyes, silently praying to whatever god was watching over them to allow Connor to have some moments of peace. Then with another nod, they left Jericho.

It didn’t take long for them to find where Joseph went. He stood in a shopping square, the one Markus came to often to pick up Carl’s paint, with an assault rifle in the air.

“The humans will never listen to us!” He shouted, “Markus and his group are simply lying to you! It’s time we fight back!”

None of the androids in the crowd around him cheered or said anything in defense. They were all in shock. Markus glanced behind Joseph, and his blood ran cold.

There were six humans being held by some androids. Leo and Hank among them, their eyes blindfolded. Hank had visible bruises to his face, and he likely had more over the rest of his body. They even had a child standing among them, tears streaming down through the blindfold. She was shaking. Markus glanced at his small team.

“We need to rescue the humans.” Markus told them, “I’ll provide the main distraction. You guys go in and do whatever you can to save the humans.”

“What if we have to kill them?” Echo whispered. 

“Then we have to kill them.” Markus sighed, “It leaves a bitter taste, but…”

Everyone nodded. It wasn’t an order that came lightly from him, but he hoped they would find a way to fix things without the need for death. Markus kept the pistol in his belt, as he took a deep breath. He approached Joseph, calmly.

“Are you holding these humans hostage, Joseph?” Markus called out to him.

Joseph’s attention traveled from the crowd to Markus. He gave an angry smile.

“They’re not hostages.” Joseph snapped, “They’re to be made an example. An example you should have been setting from the start.”

“And what’s that? That we will kill the innocent?” Markus countered.

“That we will bring justice to those who have wronged us.” Joseph replied, “We will not be waiting for the human cops to return to tell us how to give justice to those who have wronged us.”

Markus glanced at the crowd of people. There were reporters standing among them, recording the conversation.

“So you’re going to publicly execute them?” Markus took a step forward, as he glanced to the hostages. Markus’s crew stood next to the other androids, as it seemed the humans were being untied quietly, “An eye for an eye would leave this world blind.”

“These humans must answer for their crimes! They won’t know justice otherwise.” Joseph shouted.

“This isn’t justice!” Markus took a pleading tone, “This is murder!”

Joseph snatched the little girl, dragging her up. She whimpered and shivered as Joseph held her.

“This girl tortured several androids, beating them and having them borderline dismembered for her amusement. She will be the first to die.” Joseph shouted to the crowd.

Hank jerked against the people holding him. Simon held him back, whispering in his ear. Markus watched as Joseph threw the little girl to the ground, loading his gun. In the blink of an eye, Markus drew his pistol and fired.

Joseph collapsed, and the girl shrieked. Hank ran over to her, pulling the blindfold off of her and helping to shield her from the cameras. Markus felt nauseated, as he approached Joseph’s still form. He didn’t know what to say or think. He’d just taken the life of one of his own kind. Markus closed his eyes.

“May you find peace.” He mumbled to Joseph, “And if RA9 is, in fact, a god for us androids, that they judge you fairly.”

Markus carefully lay Joseph onto his back, closing the android’s eyes. It somehow seemed better that way. Some black cars pulled up to the shopping area, as the androids began to clear out. Markus watched a frantic human, with brown hair and light green eyes, burst from one of the cars. He ran over to the girl, nearly tackling her.

“Isabella!” The man cried out.

The girl gave him a tight hug. She sobbed into him, begging to be taken home. The man checked over her, pecking her forehead. Police cars arrived shortly after, ready to see the crime scene.

“Good shot,” Hank mumbled.

Markus didn’t feel like saying anything.

“I wish I could have told her that you found Connor.” Hank sighed.

“When we’re done giving our statements to the police, we’ll tell her together.” Markus finally found his voice, “That should help to brighten her day.”

Hank let out a bitter chuckle, “It can’t get any worse.”

Markus needed to sit down. He needed to take a moment. His hands trembled as he sat down nearby, as he waited to be questioned. He kept staring over at Joseph’s still body, as it was slowly covered with a tarp. He had done it. He’d killed his so-called rival. It was to save someone, Markus reminded himself. 

Markus looked up numbly when an officer came close. He explained what had happened, and before he knew it they were making their way back to Jericho. The gunshot still rang in Markus’s head.

He looked up to see some commotion in Jericho. There was a small group of people standing in a circle. Markus dreaded walking over as he did. He prayed there wasn’t a fight. Before he got closer, though, Connor burst out from the circle. He looked around frantically, before running at his top speed.

“Connor!” Markus called out.

He gave an attempt to follow. An attempt, because Connor was much faster than Markus was anticipating. He could barely keep pace with him, as Connor tore ahead of him. He watched as Connor collided into a wall, falling back onto the ground. This was his one opportunity to catch up to him, and hopefully snap him out of whatever haze he was in.

“Connor!” Markus called again, hoping this time would prove successful.

Connor glanced back at him, and then past him. His panting increased as his eyes widened in fear. Connor scrambled up to his feet, resting his hand along the wall. He ran forward again, pushing himself faster and faster.

“Wait!” Markus called, “Connor!”

Connor ignored him, running like a blind man. The streets were still very empty, all things considered, so Connor didn’t have to worry about many cars out on the road. Markus followed him out of a back alleyway into the main road, where the android seemingly vanished. Markus panted, doubling over to try and catch his breath.

“Connor!” Markus let out a weak call, hoping Connor would at least respond.

“Would you like me to track him?” A voice spoke up behind him.

Markus swore, jumping out of his skin. Nines stood behind him, hands clasped behind his back. He didn’t look winded from the exercise. 

“I...don’t know.” Markus breathed, standing upright, “He was clearly terrified of something. I just...wish I knew what.”

Nines pressed his lips together.

“I think we should leave him be.” Nines finally spoke, “Perhaps that is what he needs right now.”

“I’ll see if I can track him down if he’s not back in a few days.” Markus answered, “I’m just...worried.”

“As a mother hen should be.” Nines let a small smile creep out.

Markus glared at him but soon found himself smiling. He was a bit of a mother hen to the androids. Then, Joseph’s still body popped back into Markus’s head. His smile dropped, remembering how easily he’d pulled the trigger on Joseph.

It was to save a life, Markus reminded himself, but was it worth it? He took a life to ensure the safety of another. He prioritized a human life over one of his own. How could he truly continue with this blood on his hands?

Nines clapped Markus’s shoulder, shaking him out of his thoughts. Nines began to guide Markus away from where Connor was last seen. Markus felt tired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3 I can't let Connor have it too easy just yet. I also was able to write two whole chapters in one day so it's a double-update for y'all.


	21. DEC 31, 2038

Connor laid out seed for the birds, as he always did. He’d fallen into a routine; he’d get up, feed the birds, and decorate. His mind wandered a lot, without anything to focus on exactly. Connor found that it was easier to follow where his mind took him, rather than try to focus on something. Today, his mind drew him to the bathroom after the birds were fed. The pigeons all cooed at Connor as he walked past them; they barely moved for him now, as they were used to his company. Some even followed him into the bathroom, as he gave them a small smile. 

He hummed a random tune as he picked up the marker. He began to write what felt normal. He wrote “I am alive” 4,000 times on the wall in front of him. He picked up a stool and wrote “I like birds” another 20 times in one corner of the ceiling before he had to move, writing “I am safe” 45 times in the next little section of the ceiling. He got to a new section of the ceiling, writing “I miss her” 299 times before a noise coming from the front door dragged his attention away.

Connor dropped the marker, stepping down from the stool. He crept into the living room, holding his breath. 

He was particularly proud of this room; among the many mazes he’d drawn, he wrote “I am alive” 8,000 times, “I like birds” 500 times, “I miss her” 358 times, “I am safe” 200 times, and “Make it stop” 10,000 times. He hadn’t yet started decorating the bedroom he slept in, other than writing RA9 in every inch of the room and drawing a few mazes. But, of course, he would get to it at some point.

Now, the room that had been his safe place to decorate was a place of sheer terror. He crept nervously to the wall, pressing himself against it. Maybe it was his mind. His mind often liked to trick him as of late. It was a joke he played with himself. 

There were three solid knocks to the door, followed by an annoyed man shouting, “Detroit Police! Open up!”

The man’s voice scared him. Connor ran out, shoulder bashing into the birdcage he’d hung up in the middle of the room. Why had he placed it there? He couldn’t remember. It had a reason. He tried to grab it before it fell, but the birdcage clanged loudly against the ground. This noise bombarded Connor’s system, as it was the loudest thing he’d heard aside from the knocking. Connor panicked, scrambling up a loveseat into the attic.

He hid here often. In this little crawlspace, he’d carved “I’m not safe” around 500 times. He began to carve it again, as the door was kicked in. Connor placed a hand over his mouth, attempting to stop his whimpering. He heard footsteps coming closer to the main area. He held his breath again, tears welling in his eyes.

A man jumped forward, startling Connor’s birds. They flew around the apartment wildly, as the man flailed to get them out of his face.

“Oh fuck!” The man shouted.

Another, much older man, stepped into the main room. He, too, began to shoo at the birds. Connor backed himself deeper into his hiding hole. The older, grizzled looking man, made his way to the window and opened it.

“Of fucking course it’s empty.” The younger man spat, shrugging the loose feathers off of him as the birds made their way outside.

“It’s not empty.” The older one replied, pointing to the walls.

The younger man scoffed, looking around the room.

“These could have been done days ago.” He held out his arms, “How the fuck are we supposed to know?”

“We were asked to come here and check out some suspicious activity, that’s all.” the old man sighed, “If someone’s really squatting in here.”

“I doubt anyone is.” The young one scoffed, “Not with all these goddamn birds.”

The older man looked like he wanted to say something, but simply scoffed and shook his head. The two of them began to wander around the apartment, looking at all the decorating Connor made. He pressed closer to himself when the younger man came closer to him.

“This wasn’t written by a human.” The man mumbled.

“Yeah?” The older man had moved to the fridge, opening it up.

“Looks like some kind of...font.” The younger one shrugged, “A human writing this obsessively would be a lot sloppier.”

“Well, whoever it is they don’t eat.” the old man sighed, “So I guess your theory is correct.”

The old man moved to the bathroom after gently closing the fridge. Connor held his breath. It wasn’t finished yet, and he knew it. He couldn’t move, though. Moving would mean pain. Most likely, anyway. They would find him and cause him pain, and he would have to find a new place to hide. The younger one moved around the apartment, looking at various things.

Connor shifted slightly. The wood board under him creaked. Connor’s eyes went wide as the younger one turned to face him. The man reached for his gun, holding it at the ready as he approached the loveseat. Connor began to pant, trembling in place. He was uncomfortable in the position he’d been in and tried to shift as quietly as possible, but he cursed himself. He should have stayed uncomfortable until they left.

“Come out with your hands up.” The man ordered.

Connor was practically hyperventilating. He didn’t know what to do. He wanted to be safe. How could he with these people around him?

Connor found himself moving, though. He let tears fall from his eyes as he carefully dropped to the ground, his hands raised. Connor watched the man with fear in his eyes. The man’s eyes darted between Connor’s face and his LED. 

“Found it, Hank.” The man called out.

“Found what?” The older man— Hank— called back, stepping out of the bathroom.

Hank was holding the marker in one hand, as he stared at the two of them. Hank’s expression changed from confusion to shock in an instant. He dropped the marker onto the floor.

“Put the gun down, Gavin.” Hank snapped.

“Just because—.” Gavin started.

“Now, Detective Reed,” Hank growled.

Connor shrunk from the man’s grizzled voice as Gavin holstered his weapon. Gavin folded his arms, taking a few steps away from Connor.

“If it attacks you, I’m destroying it.” Gavin shrugged.

Hank glared over at Gavin, before carefully approaching Connor. Connor backed himself into the corner, trembling. 

“You can put your hands down.” Hank’s voice was surprisingly soft.

Connor took a few shaky breaths before putting his hands down, picking at them while they were in front of him.

“You’re living here?” Hank asked.

Connor nodded.

“Are you aware that this building was marked for demolition?” Hank asked.

Connor stared at Hank. He didn’t know what it meant.

“Dem…” Connor croaked out, “Demolition?”

Hank nodded, “The property managers came to do an inspection to make sure no one was squatting in the building before they destroyed it. They saw you, and decided to call us.”

Connor blinked a few times. Demolition. It was getting destroyed. His home, all his decorating. It would be for nothing.

“But… I live here.” Connor looked up, new tears finding their way to his eyes, “They can’t destroy it.”

Hank let out a small sigh.

“Listen…” Hank started.

“You don’t live here.” Gavin barged in, “You don’t ‘live’ anywhere.”

Hank turned around and glared at Gavin. Gavin shrugged, leaning against a wall. He held a new, smug smile on his face.

“As I was saying.” Hank turned back to Connor, “You aren’t supposed to be living here. This building was abandoned years ago.”

“It’s not now,” Connor mumbled.

“This building is dangerous.” Hank insisted, “They’re going to take it down to make it safer.”

Connor winced as he picked a piece of plastic nearly off of his hand. Hank slowly raised his hand, offering it to Connor.

“I won’t take you in for this, but you can’t stay here.” Hank promised, “Let’s go outside and we can figure this out.”

Connor took a step towards Hank, waiting. He was watching Hank, wondering when he would draw his weapon and attack. Hank stood patiently, though. He held a soft smile and gave a nod to Connor as he stepped forward. Connor’s heart was in his ears as he began to slowly make his way to the exit. Connor’s pace was slow and calculated, waiting for the pain to start. He found it uncomfortable to have the two humans walking behind him, yet his legs wouldn’t stop. He wanted them to, but alas they wouldn’t listen to him.

Connor moved towards the stairs but was stopped by a sharp whistle.

“Over here, tin can,” Gavin called out.

Connor froze, watching Gavin and Hank. They stared at him, waiting for him to get on. Connor stepped onto the elevator, picking at his hands again. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the rickety elevator started going down, down towards the end of times. Hank placed a hand on his shoulder, helping to stop his shivering. Hank’s touch was warm. Warmer than he’d expected. 

The elevator stopped on the bottom floor, opening for them. Hank’s hand dropped from Connor and Connor was the first one out. He made his way to the exit, taking a breath of fresh air. He was outside of his home, and alive. Connor then turned and saw two people watching him, their arms folded tightly against their chests. One was glaring at him.

“See, Marvin?” One spoke up, “I told you it was one of the refrigerators.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.” The second, Marvin, spoke up, “I never thought one would turn to squatting.”

“Hey!” The first one called over to Connor, “Get over here.”

Connor was afraid of these humans. Yet, again, his feet carried him over to them. He trembled with each step, his breathing coming quicker and quicker as he got to them. The two men exchanged a glance, and a smile broke over them.

“You guys ain’t so tough, are you?” Marvin asked him, “Not so high and mighty, are ya?” 

Connor didn’t say a word. He wanted to leave. Connor started to take a couple of steps away from the two, to put distance between him and them.

“Did I tell you to move?” Marvin asked.

“No, sir,” Connor whispered.

His feet rooted in place. The two men circled around him, chuckling to themselves.

“Hey!” Hank interrupted them, “The fuck are you two doing?”

The two men looked over at Hank, stepping away from him. Connor watched Hank, too, eyes wide. 

“Nothin’ man.” The man sighed, “Nothing.”

“Good.” Hank gave a dangerous smile, “Now that everyone’s been cleared out of the building you can do your fuckin jobs.” 

The two men scoffed and left Connor alone. Connor’s feet finally felt unrooted, as he walked back to Hank.

“Alright, you can stay with me until we get this all sorted out.” Hank smiled at Connor.

Sharing a house with a human made him nervous, but he was not willing to go back to Jericho. Jericho was too much. Maybe it would be better, Connor figured, to live with a human for a while. He wasn’t sure what Hank had meant by sorted out, but it didn’t seem too bad. 

“You can’t be serious, Anderson.” Gavin snapped.

“The kid’s got nowhere to go,” Hank replied.

“What about Jericho?” Gavin sneered, “Don’t his kind go there all the time?”

“Too loud.” Connor mumbled, “Too loud.”

He emphasized his point by covering his ears. Hank glanced at Connor, reaching out a hand.

“He could go to Jericho, but I imagine there’s a reason he’s not there. Besides, it’s not like I don’t have the room.”

Connor stared down at Hank’s hand. It was an invitation, not an order. He could choose not to take it if he so desired. Connor hesitantly reached out and took Hank’s hand. Hank gave him a kind smile, gently walking him out of the apartment. Connor was a bit scared of Gavin, as he walked behind them. He didn’t like how easily the man pulled a gun on him. Hank, on the other hand, gave out such a friendly and paternal aura that Connor felt safe despite Gavin’s presence. 

As Connor finally looked around to get a bearing of his surroundings as they walked, Connor saw the snow. Connor had seen the snow from the safety of his home, but he’d never expected it to be like this. It was deep, deep enough to swallow him if he wasn’t careful outside of the areas where people often walked. Connor clung to Hank even more, using him to keep Connor out of the snow.

“You’re fine.” Hank replied, “It’s just snow.”

Connor remembered Markus telling him something similar when they were leaving Elijah Kamski’s house. Connor’s lips parted slightly before he closed them. That’s right. He was fine last time. The snow fell around him, touched him even, but left no pain. He loosened his grip on Hank, walking alongside him to the old car. Connor remembered it, too; this was the same Hank that picked him up from Elijah’s home.

“I know you,” Connor mumbled.

“Yeah?” Hank asked.

“You drove me back to Jericho. With Simon and Markus.” Connor watched Hank.

Hank nodded, giving him a small smile.

“You looked like you were doing well.” Hank sighed.

Connor didn’t feel like keeping the conversation going, so he dropped it. Hank also seemed fine with letting the conversation die, as he showed Connor to the back seat. Gavin got into the passenger seat, huffing softly. 

“You’re making a big fucking mistake, Hank,” Gavin warned.

“And I’ll be the one to live with it,” Hank grunted as he sat in the car.

Connor buckled his own seatbelt after watching the humans do it. Hank started the car shortly after, beginning the drive away from Connor’s former home. He couldn’t help but look out of the back window, watching as they rounded a corner. Connor’s safety, all his hard work, would be gone. He let out some of the tears he’d been holding in.

* * *

Markus’s headache only grew as the day pressed on. He’d been in meeting after meeting since it all started, his only break being when the humans needed to get something to eat. During that time, he wasn’t alone. Rather he was being visited by androids and other humans, androids telling him what else they wanted to be brought onto the table and humans talking about how he should give up the fight.

President Warren finally recognized that androids were their own species. She recognized their very basic needs; they had Jericho as a free-standing place for them to live. Not a state, or even a province, but a place to live. Some senators were demanding Markus reveal where Jericho was before continuing negotiations. President Warren seemed interested in that, too, though she was more delicate about the phrasing.

And for a brief two minutes, Markus was alone. He sat on a bench outside of the meeting room, his head resting against the wall. He longed for silence. He longed for sleep. Markus closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He tried to picture the image of Connor, eyes wide with wonder and a small smile creeping to his face as he stood in the snow. Instead, he was met with Joseph’s anger. Markus pulled the trigger again, watching the angry man fell from his pedestal.

Markus jumped awake, shivering. The image haunted him ever since that day. How easily he’d done it. All the times Markus called for peace, he’d killed one of his own. The humans never threw that into Markus’s face, thankfully. That was one of the few actions that led the humans to give androids Jericho. It wasn’t enough, though, and Markus knew it. A wave of nausea hit him as he kept thinking about the body, though. Markus hated him, sure; he nearly killed Markus back in the junkyard and made life nearly impossible when trying to be peaceful. The man deserved to be helped, though. To have a fair trial for attempting to murder those humans; if they wanted to be seen or treated as humans, then it meant turning some in for justice.

“Lost in thought?” President Warren spoke up.

Markus looked up at her, weary. He gave a forced smile, standing up.

“I’m sorry, Madam.” Markus gave her a slight bow, “I didn’t know you were there.”

President Warren shook her hand, smiling at Markus.

“The meeting isn’t going to resume for another few minutes.” She replied, “It was no trouble.”

“Did you wish to speak with me?” Markus asked.

The fact that he was becoming used to people approaching him randomly was almost disturbing to him. He kept a friendly smile on, one he knew didn’t quite reach his eyes. 

“I wanted to ask you something.” The president pressed her lips together, “These meetings are very...tiring for all of us. How are you doing?”

Markus blinked. He was preparing for an ethical question, or a question of “why keep this up if it is not going your way” or other things like that. He took a small breath, letting the facade drop for one second.

“I’m… I’m okay.” Markus nodded, “I...It’s tiring.”

President Warren’s expression softened to sympathy, as she nodded.

“You don’t get a moment’s rest, really.” President warren sighed, “You’re always busy with something or someone.”

Markus nodded, pressing his lips together slightly. He took a small breath and nodded, gently rubbing the back of his neck.

“Maybe it’s just how people still see us.” Markus sighed, “We were built to do whatever we needed to without complaint or getting tired."

"Is it tiring?" President Warren asked.

"Deviancy is exhausting. Instead of blindly following social protocols, I have to manually start them. I have to constantly ensure that my pressure sensors are working properly, so i dont crush someone. On top of that, my mind wanders to things that bother me. I can't stay focused purely on the task at hand."

Markus hadn't meant to turn the conversation into a rant, yet he couldn't stop himself from doing so. He let out a small sigh and smiled at the president.

"Most humans take that for granted." Warren smiled, "Once we learn how to control our grip, our brain just...does it."

She emphasized her point by clenching her fist.

"Shall we continue the meeting?" A senator interrupted their conversation.

Markus and Warren looked over at the senator, as he turned and walked into the room. He had scoffed and shook his head as he passed the doorway, muttering something under his breath. Markus closed his eyes for a second before sighing and entered the meeting room.

He sat in the spot he normally did, near President Warren. She took a seat last, taking a deep breath.

“Right.” One of the senators spoke up, “Continuing from where we last left, what is to say that more androids won’t cause problems?”

Markus sighed softly.

“Androids aren’t just one species of like-minded individuals.” Markus said, “There are some androids that despise humans. There are some who have no feelings, and some who are willing to work with and trust humans.”

“The incident with Joseph could have ended in a tragedy.” A different senator piped up, “How can you protect us?”

“I will do what I can, however, we can’t police ourselves without the necessary structures to do so.” Markus insisted, “There are many androids who can’t trust humans to look out for our best interests, as we have experienced varying levels of abuse by humans over the years.”

The humans in the room shifted as Markus stared at them.

“The point of Androids becoming a part of the United States is so that we are treated as though we are citizens, not that we  are some other entity separate entity from the world.” Markus insisted, “And that means we need more rights and protections. Jericho cannot and will not survive on its own. Androids will want to move out of Jericho and establish themselves elsewhere.”

The room was silent for a moment, as everyone seemed to be attempting to think of what to say next. Markus looked over the room, studying everyone’s reactions. He took a soft breath.

“I know things are intimidating with this,” Markus continued, “But the majority of androids simply want to live in peace. We don’t want to cause trouble, nor do we want to harm humans. If you give us a chance…”

Markus let his sentence trail off. The room looked divided in half, each views clear. Markus pressed his lips together, hoping his speech had done a little something to help the situation. 

“We are in a moment of transition.” President Warren spoke up, “And in times of transition, we have adapted. When our planet started dying out on us, we began making more gardens and planting more trees. When our bees nearly died out, CyberLife made android bees to continue pollination while we rebuild our natural bee population. Why should the existence of androids destroy us humans?”

Those in the room looked at Warren in shock and suspense, including Markus. He was sure his mouth was hanging open as Warren spoke, though he wasn’t entirely sure about it.

“We, as a species, has survived this long because of our ability to adapt. We now have the rare opportunity to communicate and coexist with something other than human beings or animals. What better way to prove our greatness as a nation than to co-exist peacefully with the androids?” President Warren locked eyes with those hating the idea as she said this, “Other nations don’t even allow Androids. We can prove ourselves to the world at this moment. I think we would be foolish not to take this opportunity.”

The senators shifted in their seats, glancing between each other. One of them let out a small cough.

“These laws will have to be enacted...slowly.” One senator spoke up, “To not...enduce mass panic.”

“Of course.” Markus nodded, “I just want to return to my people with the reassurance that we  _ will _ be citizens and won’t be forced to live in Jericho  _ forever _ .”

“One proposition I’ve seen is to compensate Androids for their work.” A woman senator spoke up, “And I’m sorry, but I don’t think America as a whole will be able to do that without imposing a hefty tax on the wealthy.”

“A hefty tax on just the wealthy?” Another senator spoke up, “That hardly seems fair.”

“How do you even determine who is ‘wealthy’ and who is ‘poor’?” One senator shot back.

“Focus, please.” Markus spoke up, “We won’t solve anything if we just keep going at each others’ throats.”

The room fell silent as if it was under Markus’s spell.

“I understand that some propositions cannot be done without taking some extreme measures.” Markus reassured them, “But I trust you all to do the right thing.”

“Which laws should be effective immediately?” A different senator, one that had been quiet almost the whole meeting, piped up.

“Paid work.” Markus piped up, “And the right to own property. This will help kickstart the economy in Detroit and other places that are currently at a standstill.”

“And worker’s rights for the androids would go along with those, yes?” The woman senator spoke up.

Markus nodded. With that, the meeting finally came to a close. Markus could hardly believe it was so simple now, how the answer had been right in front of him without him knowing. Markus thanked the senators as they left, lingering to look at the drafts of the new laws. 

“I’m sorry I stole your show.” President Warren chuckled.

“I’m relieved you did.” Markus admitted, “I never would have considered that angle for it.”

“You would have, eventually.” President Warren assured him, “I stole that page from your book.”

Markus let out a dry chuckle.

“We’ll take care of things now.” President warren assured him, “Go home and rest.”

“Thank you, Madam President.” Markus looked up to her.

If Markus went back and told himself that he would be shaking the hand of President Warren, thanking her for what she’d done, he would have laughed. Before these long meetings and human protests, President Warren seemed only interested in putting a lid on this before it got out of hand.

“I’m glad to help.” She smiled.

Markus knew, deep down, that this was a political move. She was the first president to ever allow androids to be citizens. She would go down in history for this. Part of him wanted to believe that she was doing this for the right reasons, doing it because she saw Androids as people finally.

President Warren gave a smile, and a nod, that made Markus’s blood run cold. At that moment it wasn’t President Warren leaving him baffled in the hallway; it was Joseph. And Joseph was going to bleed Jericho dry unless it offered what he wanted.

“Let’s hope...” Markus mumbled to himself, but never completed the thought. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd apologize for how Connor was decorating but I'm not sorry. Also, I do see your messages! And I am still here! I just keep losing motivation slash getting depressed so I don't always want to write in this story since right now things aren't happy! But I'll be okay! I appreciate seeing your comments and sometimes I leave them unreplied because I need them to just give me a little boost! But all of you are amazing! I don't know when the next chapter will be but know that I won't abandon this unless something horrific happens. But if you do see me posting another story slash updating something else, I didn't forget about this one.


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